House Bill 578 Alabama 2026 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Chris PringleRepresentative

Republican

Session

2026 Regular Session

Title

Mobile County; certain boards of water and sewer commissioners required to convey conservation easements on certain real property

Summary

Mobile County boards of water and sewer commissioners would have to convey conservation easements on listed parcels to a conservation easement holder.

What This Bill Does

The bill defines what a conservation easement is and who can hold it. By October 1, 2027, boards that own the specified Mobile County parcels must convey a conservation easement for each parcel to a conservation easement holder. The easement holder must be a charitable organization, association, or trust whose purposes include protecting natural, scenic, open-space values, or other conservation-related goals. The provision does not exempt the boards from other applicable laws governing conveyances.

Who It Affects

• Mobile County boards of water and sewer commissioners that own the listed parcels (they must convey easements).
• Conservation easement holders (charitable organizations/ trusts) that will hold the easements.
• The listed real property parcels in Mobile County, which will be encumbered by new conservation easements.

Key Provisions

• Defines conservation easement and conservation easement holder for the act.
• Requires boards to convey a conservation easement for each listed parcel to a conservation easement holder by October 1, 2027.
• The easement holder must be a charitable corporation, association, or trust with qualifying conservation purposes (such as protecting natural resources, open-space use, air/water quality, or cultural resources).
• Nothing in this section exempts the conveyance from other applicable laws.
• The act becomes effective on October 1, 2026.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano-2025-08-07 on Mar 5, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Mobile County