Alabama House Bill HB10

Alabama 2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 6/25/25
• Introduced: 1/13/26
• Refer: 6/25/25
• Refer: 1/13/26
• Report Pass: 1/14/26
• Refer: 2/10/26
• Report Pass: 2/25/26

Caption

Juvenile offenders, delinquent acts for purposes of juvenile proceedings further provided for

Summary

HB10 revises Alabama’s juvenile code definition of a “delinquent act” for purposes of juvenile proceedings. Under current law, certain nonfelony offenses and water safety offenses committed by children age 14 or 15 are treated as delinquent acts and handled in juvenile court, with limited exceptions for DUI-related conduct. This bill changes that framework by providing that those nonfelony offenses and water safety offenses committed by 14- and 15-year-olds are not delinquent acts, again preserving the existing DUI-related exceptions. The bill also makes conforming and stylistic updates throughout Section 12-15-102, the juvenile code definitions section. In practical terms, the bill would narrow juvenile court jurisdiction over lower-level offenses committed by 14- and 15-year-olds, shifting those matters away from delinquency treatment under the juvenile proceedings chapter. The affected statute is Section 12-15-102 of the Code of Alabama 1975, and the change would alter how courts, prosecutors, probation officers, and law enforcement classify and process certain youth offenses. The bill is set to take effect on October 1, 2026. The available voting history shows strong support in the House. The bill passed the House of Origin overwhelmingly, with recorded votes of 98-0 and 99-1 on related motions and third reading. There were no committee transcript snippets provided, so there is no recorded committee debate to indicate organized opposition or support beyond the floor votes. Overall sentiment appears favorable and largely noncontroversial in the House, given the near-unanimous votes. The main policy issue is whether lower-level offenses by 14- and 15-year-olds should remain within juvenile delinquency proceedings or be excluded from that category. Any contention would likely center on juvenile accountability versus limiting court involvement for minor offenses, but no specific objections are documented in the provided materials.

Impact

HB10 amends Section 12-15-102 of the Code of Alabama 1975, narrowing the definition of “delinquent act” for juvenile proceedings by excluding nonfelony offenses and water safety offenses committed by children age 14 or 15, except for DUI-related offenses and operation of a vessel while under the influence. This would reduce the number of lower-level youth offenses handled as delinquency matters in juvenile court and could affect arrest, intake, detention, probation, and adjudication practices for affected minors and the agencies that process those cases.

Sentiment

The bill appears to have broad support in the House, with recorded votes of 98-0 and 99-1. No committee discussion transcripts were provided, but the floor votes suggest the measure was viewed as a routine juvenile-code revision rather than a highly divisive proposal. The overall tone in the available history is favorable and largely bipartisan or at least noncontroversial.

Contention

The central policy question is whether nonfelony and water safety offenses by 14- and 15-year-olds should continue to be treated as delinquent acts in juvenile court. Supporters would likely favor narrowing juvenile-court involvement for lower-level conduct, while opponents could argue that removing these offenses from delinquency treatment weakens accountability or limits intervention options. No named legislators, advocacy groups, or committee witnesses are identified in the provided record, so specific points of contention are not documented.