Alabama House Bill HB444

Alabama 2026 Regular Session

• Filed/Read First Time: 7/5/26
• Introduced: 2/12/26
• Refer: 2/12/26
• Report Pass: 2/18/26
• Refer: 2/19/26
• Report Pass: 2/25/26
• Engrossed: 3/19/26
• Refer: 3/31/26
• Report Pass: 4/7/26

Caption

Seafood country of origin; Agriculture and Industries Commissioner authorized to test for compliance, notification methods revised, violations further provided

Summary

HB444 revises Alabama’s seafood country-of-origin labeling law for food service establishments. It requires suppliers of covered commodities to provide country-of-origin information to restaurants and similar establishments, and it updates how those establishments must disclose whether seafood or other covered commodities are imported, farm-raised, or wild. The bill allows disclosures to be made through labels, stamps, placards, signs, or menu notations, and it standardizes the size, placement, and visibility requirements for those notices. The bill also gives the Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries explicit authority to test covered commodities to verify compliance with country-of-origin requirements. It directs the commissioner to report violations to the State Health Officer, who already has inspection and complaint-investigation duties under the article. HB444 further revises enforcement provisions by clarifying civil penalties, preserving a good-faith defense for establishments relying on supplier attestations, and requiring the Department of Public Health to publish violators’ names and addresses quarterly. The act is set to take effect on October 1, 2026.

Impact

HB444 amends Sections 22-20A-3, 22-20A-5, 22-20A-7, and 22-20A-8 of the Code of Alabama 1975, strengthening and clarifying the state’s seafood and covered-commodity origin disclosure regime. It expands enforcement tools by authorizing commodity testing by the Department of Agriculture and Industries, refining inspection and complaint procedures, and maintaining a graduated penalty structure for repeat violations. Food service establishments, suppliers, and state enforcement agencies are the primary affected parties, with the Alabama Department of Public Health and the Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries sharing oversight responsibilities.

Sentiment

The bill appears to have broad support in the House, passing with overwhelming margins and only minimal opposition on the amendment and final passage votes. The voting history suggests the measure was generally viewed as a technical and enforcement-oriented update rather than a controversial policy shift. No committee transcript was provided, so there is no recorded debate to indicate significant opposition or concern beyond the recorded votes.

Contention

The main points of potential contention are the added enforcement authority for the Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries, the requirement that establishments post origin information in specific formats, and the public posting of violators’ names and addresses. Restaurants and food service establishments may view the bill as increasing compliance burdens, while supporters likely see it as improving transparency and consumer information. The bill’s good-faith reliance defense for establishments using supplier attestations appears designed to address concerns about penalizing businesses that depend on upstream information.