Jefferson County; sheriff compensation revised

This act amends Sections 11-2A-1, 11-2A-2, and 11-2A-4, Code of Alabama 1975, to: (1) require counties to pay county commissioners, chairs of county commissions, judges of probate, sheriffs, tax assessors, tax collectors, revenue commissioners, license commissioners, or elected assistant tax assessors or tax collectors an annual compensation equal to the base compensation paid to such office holders on May 31, 2026; (2) specify that uniform increases in compensation for those county officials apply to their base salary and expense allowances; (3) exclude longevity or merit increases of previous office holders from the base compensation required to be paid to these county officials initially elected after July 1, 2025; (4) qualify an increase granted to all non-probationary county employees as a uniform increase; (5) provide that merit-based increases do not qualify as uniform increases unless every county employee receives the same increase; (6) provide that annual step raises do not qualify as uniform increases unless based on a uniform dollar amount or percentage; and (7) exclude local officials whose compensation is tied to the compensation of a state official from uniform increases in compensation granted to county employees. This act also repeals Sections 11-2A-3, 11-2A-6, 11-2A-7, and 11-2A-8, Code of Alabama 1975, relating to the compensation of county officials.

State Health Planning and Development Agency; collaboration among rural health care providers authorized; certification and supervision framework established, limited immunity from state and federal antitrust laws provided

Public health, authorized forms of single-dose epinephrine used by public schools and authorized entities expanded

Health care authorities; to provide for creation of a new health care authority out of an existing health care authority and for a division of assets and obligations

Public K-12 schools; mobile emergency rapid response systems required, State Superintendent of Education required to approve vendors, funding sources provided for

Solar power facilities; new facilities prohibited for one year

Chambers County, City of Valley; annexation

Chambers County; ad valorem fire protection tax levied, opt-out for certain areas of county provided; constitutional amendment

Macon County; local privilege tax on pari-mutuel activities, established

Alabama Board of Examiners in Counseling; authorized to conduct criminal history background checks

Crenshaw County; authorize law enforcement to take individual with mental illness into protective custody under certain conditions; legal immunity provided

Imagination Library of Alabama Program, Department of Early Childhood Education to administer through Dolly Parton's Imagination Library

Public utilities; Underground Damage Prevention Program; prioritization of, liability for incomplete design or survey locates provided

This act is the Alabama Work Zone Safety Act. This act: (1) authorizes the Alabama Toll Road, Bridge, and Tunnel Authority and the Alabama Department of Transportation to install certain automated photographic speed enforcement systems, and the Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) to use manually operated photographic speed enforcement systems, in active work zones to monitor motor vehicles to assure safety; (2) authorizes ALEA to issue civil traffic citations for speeding violations recorded by photographic speed enforcement systems and to mail notice of citations or warnings to a vehicle owner's address; (3) prohibits ALEA from issuing a notice if the identity of the owner is not reliably established; (4) provides that a failure to pay a civil penalty or contest liability in a timely manner, not exceeding 60 days, is an admission of liability; (5) requires the Secretary of ALEA to adopt rules providing for a hearing procedure and the resolution of violations; (6) provides that a speeding violation under the act is punishable by a civil fine of $250 and shall not result in a criminal penalty or points on the driver license; (7) provides requirements, including training and attestation of recorded violations via affidavit, for speed enforcement officers to operate photographic speed enforcement systems; (8) requires photographic speed enforcement systems to be independently calibrated annually; (9) requires the admission of a citation notice, recorded images of a violation, and evidence of ownership of a vehicle in court without foundation, with exceptions; (10) provides affirmative defenses that may be raised by cited individuals; (11) provides 50 percent of the civil penalties collected under this act shall be distributed to ALEA for costs of implementing this act, with any excess being deposited into the ALEA Work Zone Safety Fund, and the remaining 50 percent distributed to the department for costs of implementing this act, with any excess being deposited into the Transportation Work Zone Safety Fund; (12) establishes the ALEA Work Zone Safety Fund to be administered by ALEA and the Transportation Work Zone Safety Fund to be administered by the department in the State Treasury; (13) establishes a pilot program to authorize the department and ALEA to implement this act within one interstate work zone by October 1, 2026, with statewide implementation not before November 16, 2026; (14) authorizes the department and ALEA to make emergency procurements and adopt emergency rules to facilitate the pilot program implementation date; and (15) provides this act is repealed on September 30, 2028.