Senate Bill 320 Alabama 2026 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Linda Coleman-MadisonSenator

Democrat

Session

2026 Regular Session

Title

Public Service Commission, revise membership to correspond to Congressional districts

Summary

SB320 would replace Alabama's three at-large Public Service Commissioners with seven district-based commissioners elected by congressional district, starting in 2030, and add annual public information meetings.

What This Bill Does

It changes how PSC members are elected and who they represent. Each commissioner would represent a congressional district, with a president elected from among them, and vacancies would be filled by the Governor. The bill requires the PSC to hold informational public meetings with utility representatives at least annually and makes technical updates to the code. It also sets term limits and schedules for elections and specifies effective dates for the changes.

Who It Affects

• Voters and residents of Alabama, who will elect PSC commissioners from their congressional district starting in 2030 and will be represented by district-based commissioners.
• The Public Service Commission and the utilities it regulates, as the body shifts from 3 at-large members to 7 district-based commissioners, adds leadership selection rules, public meeting duties, and vacancy procedures.

Key Provisions

• Seven Public Service Commissioners elected by geographical districts identical to congressional districts, beginning with the 2030 general election; each commissioner must reside in and remain a district resident for the full term.
• Commissioners shall elect a president from among the commissioners, with terms four years long and a maximum of two full terms per commissioner.
• The PSC must hold informational public meetings at least annually with utility representatives to discuss cost trends, reliability, resilience, infrastructure plans, competitiveness, economic impacts, and regulatory issues, and these meetings must be accessible to the public.
• Vacancies are filled by the Governor; if a commissioner fails or refuses to qualify within 30 days, the vacancy is filled by the Governor for the remainder of the unexpired term; Section 1 becomes effective Oct 1, 2026, and Section 2 becomes effective Oct 1, 2029.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 25, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Telecommunications & Utilities