House Bill 309 Alabama 2026 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Juandalynn GivanRepresentative

Democrat

Session

2026 Regular Session

Title

Domestic violence; persistent domestic violence offender database established within Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA), registration requirements and removal procedures provided for, ALEA required to adopt rules

Summary

HB309 would create a publicly accessible persistent domestic violence offender registry within ALEA, require certain offenders to register, fund the program with a fee, and set privacy protections and removal timelines.

What This Bill Does

The bill establishes a persistent domestic violence offender registry at the Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) and requires courts to order registration for individuals with a second or subsequent domestic violence offense, forwarding required data to ALEA within seven days. The registry will list the offender’s name, date of birth, conviction dates and counties, and a current photo, and will be publicly viewable online at no cost while excluding addresses, Social Security numbers, license numbers, and victim identifiers. Offenders must pay a $150 registration fee, with $50 kept for administration and $100 deposited into the Domestic Violence Trust Fund; removal from the registry occurs after a time period that depends on the number of prior DV convictions, and a new DV conviction restarts the clock. ALEA must adopt rules to implement the act, and the measure takes effect January 1, 2027.

Who It Affects

• Persistent domestic violence offenders: individuals with at least one prior DV conviction who commit a second or later DV offense must register with ALEA and may be listed in the public registry; a removal timeline applies based on prior convictions.
• Courts and court clerks: must order registration for qualifying offenders and forward the offender’s conviction and birth date (and, if available, ID) to ALEA within seven days of conviction.
• ALEA / law enforcement: tasked with creating, maintaining, and publicly posting the registry, and with adopting implementing rules for the act.
• Domestic Violence Trust Fund and ADECA: receive the $100 portion of the registration fee and use funds for related DV programs under the fund’s purpose.
• General public and DV victims: the public can view the registry online at no cost, but victim-identifying information is not published to protect privacy.

Key Provisions

• Establishes a registry of persistent domestic violence offenders within ALEA, covering individuals with at least one prior DV conviction.
• The registry is publicly accessible online at no cost and includes the offender's full name, date of birth, conviction dates and counties, and a current photograph; it excludes addresses, SSNs, license numbers, and any victim-identifying information.
• Registration applies to second or subsequent DV offenses occurring on or after January 1, 2027 (prior DV convictions may be before that date); the court clerk must forward a certified copy of the qualifying conviction and birth date to ALEA within seven days, with IDs provided if available.
• Imposes a $150 registration fee, with $50 retained for administration and $100 deposited into the Domestic Violence Trust Fund; the fund is used consistent with the DV program statutes.
• Removal from the registry occurs after 5, 7, 10, or 20 years based on the number of prior DV convictions; if a subsequent DV conviction occurs, the removal clock restarts.
• ALEA must adopt rules to implement the act, and the act becomes effective January 1, 2027.

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

Subjects

Crimes & Offenses