SB64 Alabama 2025 Session

Updated Feb 23, 2026

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Steve LivingstonSenator
Republican
Session: 2025 Regular Session
Title: State waters; persons commercially cutting aquatic plants required to remove cut plants, criminal penalties established
Summary: The bill requires commercial aquatic-plant cutters in public waters to remove cut plant material and establishes penalties, with state rules to be created.
What This Bill Does
It requires businesses that cut, trim, sever, or uproot aquatic plants in public waters to use commercially reasonable methods to remove all resulting plant matter. If they fail to do so, they commit a Class C misdemeanor and face a minimum $500 fine payable to the primary enforcing law enforcement agency. The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources must adopt rules to implement this law, including defining acceptable removal methods. The act becomes effective October 1, 2025.

Who It Affects
Commercial aquatic plant cutting businesses operating in public waters: must remove plant matter and could be fined at least $500 for noncompliance.
Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and primary enforcing law enforcement agencies: will enforce the rule, with fines collected directed to the enforcing agency; the department will establish the removal methods.

Key Provisions
Requires businesses cutting, trimming, severing, or uprooting aquatic plants in public waters to use commercially reasonable methods to remove cut, trimmed, severed, or uprooted plant matter from public waters.
Violations are Class C misdemeanors with a minimum $500 fine payable to the primary enforcing law enforcement agency.
The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources must adopt rules to implement the act, including establishing commercially reasonable removal methods.
Effective date: October 1, 2025.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.
Subjects: Conservation & Natural Resources; Waters & Boating