February 27, 2017 Group Watch: News & Views from the State House
The Alabama Legislature returned to work on Tuesday, February 21, for the 5th day of the session. Here are a few highlights:
- On Tuesday (5th day of session): The House passed general bills to authorize elected officials to designate another person to serve on certain agency boards and commissions and to repeal duplicative permitting requirements for livestock markets and dealers. The Senate passed general bills to require a local match for educational grants for programs serving gifted or talented children; to clarify the authority of the Community College System to participate in the Teachers Retirement System and PEEHIP and to acquire and dispose of property; to amend the dates for the application of the sales tax holiday for school items; and to authorize the administration of a single dose auto-injectable epinephrine on K-12 school campuses by students pursuant to an anaphylaxis preparedness program.
- On Wednesday (committee day): The House Ways and Means Education Committee approved a bill to increase the cap on income tax credits for donations to scholarships under the Accountability Act of 2013. The House Boards, Agencies and Commissions Committee approved bills to immunize the Board of Licensure for responsible decisions in the administrative process and to continue by statute an administrative procedure to require documentation of experience when competing for projects affecting the safety and well-being of the public. The House Commerce and Small Business Committee approved a bill to allow the Department of Environmental Management to charge fees for the permitting of centralized waste treatment facilities. The Senate Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Development Committee approved bills to continue a number of state boards and agencies to include the Physical Therapy Board, the Board of Optometry, the Veterinary Medical Examiners Board, the Home Builders Licensure Board, the Board of Examiners in Marriage and Family Therapy, and to immunize the Board of Licensure for Engineers and Land Surveyors for responsible decisions in the administrative process.
- On Thursday (6th day of session): The House passed general bills to lower the age of majority to 18 years, but to retain age limitation for the sale of tobacco and to require the State Department of Education to develop and implement an electronic security notification system. They also passed several bills of local application only. The Senate passed general bills to affect the salary of the Director of the Securities Commission and to amend the law for Peace Officers’ Standards and Training to include non-public education.
