HB61 Alabama 2026 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Matthew HammettRepresentative

Republican

Session

2026 Regular Session

Title

Covington County; underground carbon dioxide and nonhazardous fluids storage prohibited; constitutional amendment

Summary

HB61 would propose a constitutional amendment in Covington County to ban injecting and storing carbon dioxide and nonhazardous fluids in underground wells, subject to voter approval.

What This Bill Does

If adopted, the amendment would ban any injection, storage, or sequestration of carbon dioxide or nonhazardous fluids in underground wells within Covington County. The ban would apply to Class V and Class VI wells as defined by the federal Underground Injection Control program under the Safe Drinking Water Act. A countywide vote would be held to approve or reject the amendment; it would become part of the Alabama Constitution if a majority of voters approve.

Who It Affects

• Residents of Covington County would be protected from underground injection and storage activities for CO2 and nonhazardous fluids within the county.
• Companies and operators that manage underground injection wells (including Class V and Class VI wells) in Covington County would be prohibited from injecting or storing CO2 or nonhazardous fluids there.

Key Provisions

• Prohibition: In Covington County, no person may inject, store, or sequester carbon dioxide or nonhazardous fluids in underground wells, including Class V and Class VI wells.
• Election process: Requires a county or state election under applicable Alabama election laws with ballot language describing the proposed amendment.
• Effectiveness: The proposed amendment becomes valid as part of the Alabama Constitution when approved by a majority of the qualified electors voting thereon.
• Nonsubstantive revisions: After ratification, the Code Commissioner may make non-substantive editorial changes (such as capitalization, spelling, punctuation, and cross-references) without changing the amendment’s substance.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 12, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Covington County