House Bill 268 Alabama 2026 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Reed IngramRepresentative

Republican

Session

2026 Regular Session

Title

Government Administration, authorizes the State 911 board to monitor the responsiveness of local 911 districts, with conditions under which the State 911 board may assume control of a district

Summary

HB268 gives the Alabama State 911 Board authority to measure, audit, and supervise improvements to the readiness of local 911 districts and PSAPs, with public reporting and an effective date of October 1, 2026.

What This Bill Does

The bill creates a system to assess how ready local 911 districts are to handle calls and emergency data. It allows audits of districts—upon Attorney General referral or complaint—and requires the Board to publish audit findings and, if deficiencies are found, a remediation plan with concrete steps. The Board can supervise the district's implementation of the remediation, and the audits will collect data on call volume, response times, and outcomes, with reports accessible to the public.

Who It Affects

• Local communication districts/PSAPs and their staff (public safety telecommunicators, directors, and boards): subject to readiness measurement, data collection, audits, and mandated remediation plans, with possible Board supervision.
• Alabama residents and the Attorney General: will see public audit findings and potential improvements to 911 service, enhancing transparency and accountability.

Key Provisions

• Adds Section 11-98-4.3 to authorize the State 911 Board to establish a system to measure readiness of local districts using best practices from national associations (NENA and IACP/APCO) and to collect data on 911 functions including voice, text, photos, and videos.
• The Board may collect data on 911 operations for each district, including 911 call volume, time to answer, time to process calls, answered vs. unanswered calls, dropped calls, and calls reporting crime.
• If the Attorney General refers a concern, the Board may conduct a performance audit of a district, which may include interviews and on-site PSAP inspections and real-time monitoring.
• Within 60 days after an audit, the Board must deliver to the Attorney General a written report evaluating readiness and detailing operational deficiencies, plus a remediation plan with steps such as training, hiring new staff, technology upgrades, and updated protocols and recordkeeping.
• Audit reports must be public and may be posted on the Attorney General’s or the 911 Board’s website; the Board is authorized to supervise the district’s remediation implementation.
• Funding for compliance may come from advisory service funding or other external sources; the Board will adopt rules to implement the system consistent with the Administrative Procedure Act.
• The act becomes effective October 1, 2026.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 17, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Public Safety & Emergencies