The Association of County Commissions of Alabama (ACCA) has once again had a very productive legislative year. Six bills identified as ACCA bills have now become law—two of which are proposed constitutional amendments that are expected to be on either the March or November 2016 ballot. Many more bills that could have negatively impacted county government failed to pass before the legislative session came to an end, and with the help of county officials and employees, the ACCA staff was able to amend several dozen bills to benefit counties in small and significant ways.
While the regular legislative session came to somewhat of an abrupt end due to disputes over the budget, Governor Bentley is expected to call a special legislative session in mid-August. Clearly, the General Fund Budget will be the primary topic of discussion, but several other bills are also expected to come back up during the special session. The attached report references several bills that are expected to come back up in the future. Additionally, the ACCA staff will continue to keep county officials and employees updated about the upcoming special session and any bills that might be brought back up that could impact county government.
Final Legislative Report of the 2015 Regular Session (printable PDF), which is divided into sections:
1) ACCA Bills That Have Become Law (or page 2 of PDF)
2) New Laws Impacting Counties (or page 4 of PDF)
3) Bills that DID NOT Become Law (or page 15 of PDF)
4) Local Bills (or page 19 of PDF) NEW
The ACCA staff thanks all county officials, employees, and affiliate organization members that participated in this year’s legislative advocacy efforts! Your phone calls, text messages, emails, and personal visits to legislators is the reason the 2015 session was such a success for Alabama’s counties.