House Bill 370 Alabama 2026 Session

Updated Feb 17, 2026

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Paul W. LeeRepresentative
Republican
Session: 2026 Regular Session
Title: Counties and municipalities; compensation of local officials, revised
Summary: HB370 would overhaul how Alabama counties pay certain local officials by freezing 2026 pay levels, basing future pay for new officials on the previous officeholder, and ending local uniform increases tied to state salaries.
What This Bill Does
It sets the annual compensation for county officials such as sheriffs, county commissioners, judges of probate, tax assessors and collectors, revenue and license officials, and elected assistant tax assessors/collectors to the amount they are earning on May 31, 2026. For officials first elected or appointed after July 1, 2025, their base pay would be equal to the immediately prior officeholder’s pay, excluding longevity or merit-based additions. The bill prohibits uniform increases for officials whose pay is tied to a state official, terminates existing local uniform increases for those tied when the office is vacated after May 31, 2026, and forbids new local laws granting such increases, with retroactive effect. It also repeals several existing sections on local official compensation and sets a June 1, 2026 effective date.

Who It Affects
Group 1: The county officials named in the bill (sheriffs, county commissioners, judges of probate, tax assessors/collectors, revenue commissioners, license commissioners, and elected assistant tax assessors/collectors) whose annual compensation would be fixed to their May 31, 2026 pay and governed by the new rules for future payments.
Group 2: Officials whose compensation is tied to a state official (and their counties), who would no longer receive uniform increases; any pre-2026 local uniform increases tied to a state official would be repealed or canceled, especially if the office is vacated after May 31, 2026.

Key Provisions
Annual compensation for listed local officials shall equal the amount they are receiving on May 31, 2026.
For officials elected or appointed after July 1, 2025, base compensation shall equal the immediately prior officeholder's compensation, excluding longevity or merit-based additions.
Officials whose compensation is tied to a state official shall not receive uniform increases, and local laws granting such increases shall be prohibited or repealed; retroactive effect is provided.
Sections 11-2A-3, 11-2A-6, 11-2A-7, and 11-2A-8 are repealed; the act becomes effective June 1, 2026.

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