HB36 Alabama 2026 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Reed IngramRepresentative

Republican

Session

2026 Regular Session

Title

Law enforcement; Attorney General and Governor authorized to appoint interim police chief, subject to conditions

Summary

The bill lets Alabama's Attorney General and Governor jointly appoint an interim police chief for certain municipalities under specific public-safety and staffing conditions, with funding and oversight rules.

What This Bill Does

If enacted, the bill would allow the Attorney General and Governor to jointly appoint an interim police chief to supervise a municipal police department when there is a continuing public-safety threat and the department's staffing is at least 30% below its 10-year average. The interim chief would be under the authority of the AG and Governor (not the local mayor or city council), serve for up to six months, receive a salary funded by the AG/Governor, and the state could not appoint another interim chief for six months after service ends. The bill also allows the county sheriff to be appointed to assume the department's duties, with the sheriff eligible for an expense allowance up to $75,000 per year, while the municipality must maintain funding and key agreements at levels similar to the five years before the appointment. Municipalities could lose state funds if they fail to meet the funding and operational requirements, and the AG and Governor may seek cost recovery in court; the interim chief must provide semimonthly status reports to the mayor and city council.

Who It Affects

• Municipalities with a police department that meet the threat criteria (public-safety threat and staffing at least 30% below the 10-year average) would be subject to state-appointed interim leadership and related funding/oversight requirements.
• County sheriffs and the offices of the Attorney General and Governor would be involved in appointing/detaching duties, overseeing the interim arrangement, handling expense allowances, and pursuing cost recovery if applicable.

Key Provisions

• Allows AG and Governor to jointly appoint an interim police chief for certain municipalities with a verified public-safety threat and staffing below 30% of the 10-year average.
• Interim chief serves under the AG/Governor, not under local officials, and may serve up to six months with a six-month waiting period before another interim chief can be appointed if a full six months was served.
• Salary for the interim chief is paid equally by the AG and Governor from their operating accounts, with the amount set jointly by them.
• The AG/Governor may petition the circuit court to recover costs incurred under this section, and if the appointment criteria were satisfied at the time of appointment, the court shall award those costs.
• The interim chief is considered a state officer for certain purposes and must provide semimonthly status reports to the municipality’s mayor and city council.
• The sheriff of the county may be appointed to assume the interim chief’s duties, with an expense allowance not to exceed $75,000 per year.
• The municipality must continue funding the police department at a level and with agreements at or above the five-year pre-appointment average, or risk loss of state funds until compliant.
• Effective date: immediate.

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

Subjects

Public Safety & Emergencies