Senate Bill 181 Alabama 2026 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Merika ColemanSenator

Democrat

Session

2026 Regular Session

Title

Administrative Office of Courts, creation of judicial education nonprofit

Summary

SB181 would let the Administrative Office of Courts create a nonprofit to fund and manage judicial education with nonpublic funds, hold those funds outside the State Treasury with annual audits, and allow transfers of state funds to support these programs, effective May 1, 2026.

What This Bill Does

SB181 would authorize the Administrative Office of Courts to create a nonprofit organization (a 501(c)(3)) to develop, implement, manage, and fund judicial education using nonpublic funds. The nonprofit could hold nonpublic funds outside the State Treasury, with annual audits by a certified independent accounting firm. The Administrative Office of Courts and other state agencies could transfer state funds to the nonprofit to support judicial education, and the nonprofit could be housed at the AOC and staffed by AOC employees. The act is described as remedial and curative and would update existing code language to current style.

Who It Affects

• Justices, judges, and court-supportive personnel would have access to judicial education funded by nonpublic funds, with potential state fund support transferred to the nonprofit.
• The Administrative Office of Courts and other state agencies would establish, fund, house, and staff the nonprofit and oversee transfers of funds for judicial education, with annual audits.

Key Provisions

• Create and use a nonprofit entity (defined by 26 U.S.C. § 501(c)(3)) to develop, implement, manage, and fund judicial educational plans, conferences, and programs; the entity may collect nonpublic funds to support this purpose.
• The entity may hold nonpublic funds outside the State Treasury, provided the accounts are audited or reviewed annually by a certified independent accounting entity.
• Transfer state funds to the nonprofit to support judicial education purposes.
• House the nonprofit at the Administrative Office of Courts and staff it with employees of the Administrative Office of Courts.
• This act is remedial and curative and includes nonsubstantive, technical revisions to update the code language to current style, with an effective date of May 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

Courts & Judges