House Bill 143 Alabama 2026 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Margie WilcoxRepresentative

Republican

Session

2026 Regular Session

Title

Crimes and offenses; motor vehicle accidents, penalties for violations and restitution, revised

Summary

HB143 would raise penalties for criminally negligent homicide involving a vehicle and tier penalties for accident-related offenses based on injury severity, while adding restitution protections for victims, with an effective date of October 1, 2026.

What This Bill Does

It raises the penalty for criminally negligent homicide caused by a vehicle or vessel driver/operator from a Class C felony to a Class B felony. It creates a three-tier penalty system for violations of legal requirements in motor vehicle accidents: physical injury carries a Class C felony, serious physical injury carries a Class B felony, and death carries a Class A felony. It also requires that any person who suffers damage or loss due to criminal conduct resulting in a conviction under these provisions be treated as a victim for restitution purposes. The act is named The Devinee and John Wesley Safe Streets Act and becomes effective October 1, 2026.

Who It Affects

• Group 1: Drivers or vehicle/vessel operators involved in crashes — penalties would be higher (criminally negligent homicide would move from Class C to Class B; other violations tiered by injury).
• Group 2: People who suffer damage or loss from such crashes or related conduct — they would be treated as victims eligible for restitution.

Key Provisions

• Criminally negligent homicide by the driver/operator of a vehicle or vessel would be a Class B felony (up from Class C).
• Violations of legal requirements for individuals involved in motor vehicle accidents would be punished by severity: physical injury = Class C felony; serious physical injury = Class B felony; death = Class A felony.
• Any person who suffers damage or loss in connection with criminal conduct resulting in a conviction under these provisions is considered a victim for restitution purposes.
• The act is titled The Devinee and John Wesley Safe Streets Act.
• Effective date of October 1, 2026.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 11, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Crimes & Offenses