House Bill 132 Alabama 2026 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Tracy EstesRepresentative

Republican

Session

2026 Regular Session

Title

Crimes and offenses; assault in the second degree, revised

Summary

HB132 revises Alabama's second-degree assault law to broaden who can be assaulted and under what circumstances, making more assaults a Class C felony with an effective date of October 1, 2026.

What This Bill Does

It expands the acts that count as second-degree assault to include intentional or reckless injuries to a wide range of public-facing workers, such as peace officers, jail and detention staff, emergency medical personnel, utility workers, firefighters, teachers, and health care workers. It also adds protections for home health care workers in private homes and prohibits harming someone by administering drugs to cause harm. The bill sets second-degree assault as a Class C felony and provides definitions and contextual rules, with the new law taking effect October 1, 2026.

Who It Affects

• Health care workers (including nurses, doctors, technicians, and hospital staff) who may be assaulted while performing duties or in private homes during home health visits
• Teachers and employees of public educational institutions, and students/children in educational settings under certain conditions
• Public-safety and other public servants such as peace officers, detention/corrections officers, emergency medical personnel, utility workers, and firefighters
• Employees of the Department of Human Resources or social workers, and postal workers (letter carriers) who could be assaulted while performing duties
• Home health care workers operating in private residences (protections apply in those settings)

Key Provisions

• Amends Section 13A-6-21 to define second-degree assault around ten categories of conduct, including intentional or reckless physical injury and use of deadly weapons or dangerous instruments
• Establishes that second-degree assault is a Class C felony
• Adds specific protections for assaults on teachers, health care workers, utility workers, emergency personnel, police and jail staff, and other public servants during the performance of their duties
• Extends protections to home health care workers in private residences (with a carve-out for patient impairment by medication) and to health care facilities and workers across hospitals, clinics, long-term care facilities, and health departments
• Prohibits administering drugs or substances to incapacitate another person without consent
• Defines 'utility worker' for purposes of the statute
• Includes clarifications related to off-duty peace officers performing lawful duties and related liability considerations
• Effective date set for October 1, 2026

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 25, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Crimes & Offenses