Senate Bill 173 Alabama 2026 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Lance BellSenator

Republican

Session

2026 Regular Session

Title

Crimes and offenses; violation of domestic violence protection order, jurisdiction amended

Summary

SB173 tightens penalties for violating domestic violence protection orders, shifts prosecution jurisdiction to district courts (with juvenile exceptions), and adds a $50 DV fund fine, effective October 1, 2026.

What This Bill Does

It defines the crime of violating a domestic violence protection order as knowingly violating its terms or willfully failing to abide by them. It establishes penalties: a first violation is a Class A misdemeanor; a second conviction carries a minimum of 30 days in jail that cannot be suspended; a third or subsequent conviction is a Class C felony. It adds a $50 fine on top of other penalties, to be paid to the Domestic Violence Trust Fund. It changes where prosecutions are heard (district courts have exclusive original jurisdiction, with juvenile court exceptions) and requires prosecutions pending on October 1, 2026 to be moved to the district court; the act becomes effective on October 1, 2026.

Who It Affects

• People who violate domestic violence protection orders in Alabama will face new penalties (Class A misdemeanor for a first violation, mandatory minimum jail time for a second, and Class C felony for third or subsequent violations) and must pay a $50 DV fund fine.
• Courts and cases: district courts become the exclusive original venue for these prosecutions (with juvenile courts retaining jurisdiction for juvenile cases), and any prosecutions pending on October 1, 2026 are to be transferred to district court; juvenile cases are exempt from this transfer. The Domestic Violence Trust Fund will receive the $50 per-violation fine.

Key Provisions

• Amends Section 13A-6-142 to define the offense of violation of a domestic violence protection order as knowingly violating or willfully failing to abide by the order.
• Sets penalties: violation is a Class A misdemeanor; second conviction carries a minimum of 30 days imprisonment (non-suspendable); third or subsequent conviction is a Class C felony.
• Imposes an additional $50 fine on each violation to be deposited into the Domestic Violence Trust Fund (Section 30-6-11).
• Transfers exclusive original jurisdiction for these prosecutions to district courts, with exceptions for juvenile cases under the juvenile courts' jurisdiction (and regarding Section 12-12-32).
• Requires prosecutions pending on October 1, 2026 to be transferred to the district court (juvenile cases exempt).
• Effective date: 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

Crimes & Offenses