May 1, 2023 Group Watch: Day-by-Day, Play-by-Play
On Tuesday (14th day of regular session):
- The House passed general bills to provide for the $3 billion budget for governmental operations for the 2024 fiscal year; a supplemental appropriations bill for a number of agencies for the current fiscal year; to establish the Medicaid Emergency Reserve Fund and to provide for the withdrawal and use of amounts deposited into the fund; to make a $39 million appropriation from the Children Trust Fund for the 2024 fiscal year to specific agencies; to establish the Preceptor Tax Incentive Program to provide income tax credit incentives for certain medical students who train in rural and underserved counties in the state; and to provide a cost-of-living increase for state employees for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2023.
- The Senate gave final approval to House-passed bills to further provide for the scope of Social Work Practice and to further provide that the term healthcare provider includes emergency medical services personnel. It also approved bills to revise the circumstances under which the Alabama Medicaid Agency may revise the ceiling for the Medicaid reimbursement rate to nursing facilities during a given fiscal year and a bill to require the ethics commission to provide an alleged violator with exculpatory evidence.
On Wednesday (committee day only):
- The House Ways and Means Education Committee approved bills to increase the exemption for taxable retirement income for individuals who are 65 years of age or older and to exclude hours worked above 40 in any given week from gross income.
- The House Ways and Means General Fund Committee approved a bill to provide for the charging of a reasonable fee for services provided by the Department of Finance and to allow the State Comptroller to pay a vendor which is entitled to payment for services or goods rendered to the State.
- The House Health Committee approved a Senate-passed bill to prohibit the sale, distribution, marketing or possession of psychoactive cannabinoids found in hemp for certain age groups.
- The Senate Finance and Taxation Education Committee approved several bills including a bill to authorize the use of up to eight weeks of sick leave for attending to an ill child for when a petition for adoption has been filed and attending to an adopted child.
- The Senate Finance and Taxation General Fund Committee approved a House-passed bill to further provide for the salary of all circuit clerks in the Unified Judicial System based on the pay plan adopted by the personnel system of the Unified Judicial System.
- The Senate Judiciary Committee approved several bills including bills to provide for the crime of retail theft in various degrees; to provide that a prisoner is not eligible for parole if charged with a new offense that has not been disposed; to create the crime of making a terrorist threat in the second degree and to establish penalties for violations; to provide that it is unlawful to discharge a firearm on school property; and to revise the criminal penalties for violations of fleeing or attempting to elude law enforcement.
- The Senate Education Policy Committee approved bills to require students to complete a personal financial literacy and money management course before graduation and to prohibit a biological male from participating on an athletic team or sport designated for females.
On Thursday (15th day of of regular session):
- The House passed general bills to further provide for income tax deductions on health insurance premiums; to prohibit requiring microchipping of employees; and to require the use of certain refrigerants and refrigerant-equipped products in compliance with federal law.
- The Senate passed bills to further provide for the compensation of retired law enforcement officers providing services as school resource officers; to authorize paid family leave benefit policies; and to further provide for pretrial supervision of certain offenders by a community punishment and corrections program as a condition of bond in certain circumstances.
