April 8, 2019 Group Watch: News & Views from the State House

• Tuesday, Day 5 of Regular Session: The House passed a number of bills of local application and completed work on the last of 15 sunset measures before passing general bills, including those allowing statements to be entered into evidence in child abuse cases by a child under the age of 12 if they were given during forensic interview; to expand and clarify requirements for membership of child advocacy centers in the Alabama Network of Children Advocacy Centers; and to authorize the making of infusions using distilled spirits. The Senate passed bills to allow students in grades 6 to 12 to elect courses on the study of the Bible, monuments, artifacts and symbols; to require insurance companies to provide certain information relating to corporate governance to the state insurance commissioner; and require insurance licensee to provide certain information the state insurance commissioner regarding information security programs.
• Wednesday, Day 6 of Regular Session: The House Ways and Means Education Committee approved a bill giving future public retirees another option for receiving a partial lump-sum distribution. The House Ways and Means General Fund Committee approved bills for the distribution of Children First Trust Fund appropriations, the General Fund budget and an appropriation to the Coalition Against Domestic Violence. The House Judiciary Committee approved a bill described as the Juvenile Justice Reinvestment Fund. The House Economic Development and Tourism Committee approved a bill exempting economic development professionals from the definition of a lobbyist. The Senate Finance and Taxation General Fund Committee approved bills to provide lump-sum merit reward payments for full-time employees at the top of their pay range and to further provide for unspent appropriations transfers to the General Fund Reserve Fund. The Senate Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Development Committee approved a bill that further provides for local employers participating in the Employee Retirement System (ERS).
• Thursday, Day 7 of Regular Session: The House passed several bills of local application only and general bills that include bills to further provide for local employers participating in the ERS and to exempt economic development professionals from the definition of lobbyist in certain circumstances. The Senate passed a number of bills of local application only and general bills to criminalize the taking of a video or photo depicting intimate areas of a person without that person’s consent and to require a County Superintendent of Education be appointed unless provided otherwise by the constitution.

Comments are closed.