House Bill 201 Alabama 2026 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Alan BakerRepresentative

Republican

Session

2026 Regular Session

Title

Escambia County; sheriff authorized to establish procedures for use of credit or debit card

Summary

HB201 authorizes the Escambia County Sheriff to establish and manage procedures for using a county-issued credit or debit card for purchases, with built-in controls and reporting requirements, effective June 1, 2026.

What This Bill Does

It allows the Sheriff to adopt written policies governing the use of a county-issued credit or debit card for purchases. The policies must include a per-purchase limit, a monthly spending limit, procedures to ensure sole access to card numbers and codes by the Sheriff or a designee, and a system for keeping accurate records of purchases. Bills must be reviewed monthly to detect unauthorized charges and paid in full on time to avoid extra charges. When choosing a card provider, the Sheriff must consider annual fees, rewards or rebates, interest and other charges, and penalties; any rewards earned go to the Sheriff's discretionary account, and the act becomes effective June 1, 2026.

Who It Affects

• Escambia County Sheriff's Office personnel (the Sheriff or a designee) who would use the county-issued credit or debit card under the new policies.
• Escambia County residents and taxpayers, through the governance of public funds, enhanced spending controls, and record-keeping to prevent unauthorized or excessive charges.

Key Provisions

• Authorizes the Sheriff to establish procedures for using a county-issued credit card or debit card for purchases.
• Written policies must set a per-purchase limit, a monthly spending limit, strict access controls to card numbers/codes, and require accurate purchase records.
• Requires monthly review of bills for unauthorized charges and payment in full on time to avoid fees.
• When selecting a card provider, factors to consider include annual fees, rewards or rebates, interest and other charges, and penalties; rewards earned must be deposited to the Sheriff’s discretionary account.
• Prohibits spending in excess of legally appropriated funds or creating county debt under this act, and the act becomes effective June 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

Escambia County