[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6325282,"mediaKeyId","2334107-a7c3c6bc1b3e8b08e2e8704b0d0eb9f5","parentId",2334107,"title","Votes at a glance: key actions the Alabama Senate took on multiple bills","audioSeconds",4748,"startMs",358000,"endMs",5106000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2334107-a7c3c6bc1b3e8b08e2e8704b0d0eb9f5&start=358&end=5106","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2334107-a7c3c6bc1b3e8b08e2e8704b0d0eb9f5/thumbnail_358000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6325282/Alabama/Votes-at-a-glance-key-actions-the-Alabama-Senate-took-on-multiple-bills","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6325282-851ac2fe51f2d3b24396e492b70e9f3b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771049339&Signature=Z7S0u~NSF610wsxoTC7gB46ic4gZoDgWQytBwagL7E1mRcpRr4ndkqpnecpblazX8Su2swFzoyD2q3PW~TEDiWR5YvwQUKj4gr-BJwosAR-v1x97sawT-Hc66pBQjOKOO7JWSL1dGDMmP2F8qDJ09pDMf92vp7ANadmX2TCtWb0IVf4Tcda9tYcB-PHsxFR8Cv74O5FexGimfD-~Xp9Ur2x4rNeWGsYTfMCUtxhOoxXu9yM8K0GicEWclMDacE5MQs0DAGEEiZQJXj85gII1o2WZFGG1sAtyMGUznnod3IbBoLXUyqM7UQujoJAOOEQcc~dsY~wParpELf1dp8JMtA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Alabama Senate","date","2025-02-18T00:00:00Z","article","The Alabama Senate advanced and acted on a number of bills and committee reports during the session. Below are the principal outcomes recorded on the floor (committee reports and bills with recorded outcomes or committee dispositions are listed):

Votes and dispositions

- Committee reports (county and municipal government): SB 5 (favorable report with substitute, committee vote 6–1–2), SB 142 (favorable 8–0), SB 158 (favorable 8–0), SB 171 (favorable 8–0). (Committee report read on the floor.)

- Senate Bill 64 (Livingston/Kitchens) — state waters / aquatic weeds: committee amendment adopted; final passage recorded 31 ayes, 0 nays. Sponsor said the bill requires harvesters to remove cut aquatic weeds from Guntersville impoundment.

- Senate Bill 95 (Chastain) — Alabama Municipal Electric Authority: committee amendment adopted; final passage recorded 32 ayes, 0 nays. Bill aligns board compensation with prior gas district increases.

- Senate Bill 104 (Stewart et al.) — Alabama Job Creation and Military Stability Commission composition: committee amendment adopted; final passage recorded 32 ayes, 0 nays. Amendment adds legislative chairs for military affairs to the commission.

- Senate Bill 60 (Albritton) — Alabama Corrections Institutions Finance Authority: BR adopted; final passage recorded 32 ayes, 0 nays. Sponsor discussed borrowing capacity (sponsor cited a figure of about $500,000,000 on the floor) and said the authority provides capacity to finance construction and renovations for prison projects.

- Senate Bill 42 (Melson) — property / abandoned roads: amendments adopted; final passage recorded 32 ayes, 0 nays. The bill creates a clear procedure for returning abandoned public right-of-way to adjacent landowners, with provisions where multiple owners share the corridor.

- House messages: multiple appointments sent to confirmation committees (e.g., Agricultural Exhibition Center Corporation Board, Firefighters Personnel Standards and Education Commission, workforce board); the Senate referred confirmations to the committee on confirmations.

- House bill referrals: the House sent several bills to Senate committees (examples: HB 191 — sales/use tax to county & municipal government; HB 168 — local emergency management orgs to veterans & military affairs; HB 52 — income taxes to finance & taxation general fund). The clerk announced multiple house messages and committee referrals.

Actions to note

- A number of bills were carried over or placed on special order (the Special Order Calendar was adopted 30 ayes, 0 nays). SB 67 (veterans) was carried to the call of the chair earlier in the day and later taken up and amended.

- The Senate concurred with a House amendment to Senate Bill 70 (Alabama Veterans Resource Center Act) by recorded vote 29 ayes, 0 nays.

This roundup covers actions recorded during the transcripted session. For full bill texts, amendments, committee reports, and sponsor statements, consult the Senate Journal or the Legislative Information System.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Alabama Senate February 18, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","A compact roundup of committee reports, committee-adopted items, and bills the Senate passed or carried over during the session, including votes and short descriptions.","taxTitle","Senate, Alabama Legislative Sessions, Alabama","taxId",62183,"location","Alabama","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6325287,"Senate creates cabinet-level veterans post while retaining existing veterans board oversight",6981,2041000,9022000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2334107-a7c3c6bc1b3e8b08e2e8704b0d0eb9f5&start=2041&end=9022","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2334107-a7c3c6bc1b3e8b08e2e8704b0d0eb9f5/thumbnail_2041000.jpg","/articles/6325287/Alabama/Senate-creates-cabinet-level-veterans-post-while-retaining-existing-veterans-board-oversight","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6325287-cb46b3c417f1a959938a711774be34e1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771049339&Signature=DzJnJF1~EDkbmCwbBe0yC1EwPMIXBzd~ovqUuUO7AvuAHuuEmwNW8OlvnM7D3U~GPmm47bL84LQbsde2LeSMpHGeRemc-ZqcABKdKLEI07~VmzyEWVkrYQsWrUBm1Oz4BAKyWuRA~mRPyR5L3Vm8otlRrFA0IoVhtYJf3pGA3tAYtBkZ-xRnTGPHmTUyl9DMg75k0p9ceShIK4y8icSrp10YSMQoCNaPyUgRYPsRbH3SqcKTF5Wi-~gJi1R7G~k2~rzHsqSTYzEbEGoyuQPOxuNJDAAZW2EsDhfwBeIPBqGD5xq6kiIAR49N-0DY7Xx82aR48FZf6jJ5cFigIOTzDg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Alabama Senate approved a substitute and then final passage of Senate Bill 67 after floor amendments that make the state's Department of Veterans Affairs commissioner a cabinet-level position while preserving the current Veterans Affairs Board structure and its oversight responsibilities.

Sponsor Senator Jones told the Senate the substitute keeps the current Veterans Affairs Board in place but elevates the department head to cabinet rank and adds an explicit oversight role for veterans service organizations (VSOs). \"Make the Commissioner of the Department of Veterans Affairs a cabinet level position and leave in place, the current structure of the Veterans Affairs Board with a couple caveats,\" Jones said while offering the substitute.

Jones said the substitute also allows veterans organizations to re-nominate candidates to the Governor by submitting three nominees if the organizations wish to reappoint board members. He said a primary stakeholder concern was continued VSO oversight of the Veterans Assistance Fund; the substitute explicitly preserves the board's management of that fund.

Floor debate was robust and included objections from some senators and calls for additional time by others to allow VSOs and legislators to review the substitute. Senator Carnley, among others, commended the sponsor for extensive stakeholder engagement. The substitute was adopted on a roll call (22 ayes, 6 nays, 2 abstentions). Final passage as amended passed later by roll call 21 ayes, 9 nays, 1 abstention.

Supporters argued the change would align the department with the governor's cabinet while keeping VSO representation, nominations, and oversight over the veterans assistance fund. Opponents and some senators urged delay so VSOs and other stakeholders could review the final substitute language before a final vote; several senators said they had just received the substitute shortly before the vote.

The bill, as amended and passed by the Senate, advances to the House for the next stage of consideration. A House message later in the session reported the House had amended and returned Senate Bill 70 (a related veterans resource center measure); the Senate concurred with the House amendment by recorded vote.","Senate Bill 67 was amended on the floor to make the Department of Veterans Affairs commissioner a cabinet-level official while preserving the existing Veterans Affairs Board's role over the Veterans Assistance Fund; the substitute and final bill passed after contentious floor debate and multiple roll-call votes.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6325292,"Senate adopts 'Educators on the Job Injury Act' to allow compensation for injured school employees",2107,5181000,7288000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2334107-a7c3c6bc1b3e8b08e2e8704b0d0eb9f5&start=5181&end=7288","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2334107-a7c3c6bc1b3e8b08e2e8704b0d0eb9f5/thumbnail_5181000.jpg","/articles/6325292/Alabama/Senate-adopts-Educators-on-the-Job-Injury-Act-to-allow-compensation-for-injured-school-employees","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6325292-1bcdda55132ea09ded6062602566d3e6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771049339&Signature=ScgvvYbiUpoY3N8~~A5Yq92GHtZlSz3yqLg9uhmfsIiPK4Z3~bNGXGZ1uUJMBBxoDrxWbTl9IvhaCkcjXZTP97wzpCPmY-~qcflQdglRu3jyKmyXqKv68es~TN3tW04EGhv0Q1XP1mh5Vn3UxH1nmjHXRCDJYFQKoZX8dAgjIsy~Miy8jzITncPaa27w-R~RsP~On4iF205~MzEjwGELGdyU1bbJ6q6u1MnR3S3FVn46azguTMUjNsqpev7L~2of7jcyYGGvexfxiBS4At5a2tNHalJUSpSXMQDSbckGcZ1SlbbUPDxcGru6xuw7~wF-LcXlz9WkLbPTTCL9nHQ4vQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Alabama Senate passed Senate Bill 1, titled the Mary Ann Leonard Educators on the Job Injury Act, to create a statutory recovery process for education employees who are injured on the job.

Sponsor Senator Gavan described technical amendments adopted on the floor that clarified coverage and the claims process, including the relationship between PHIP (the Public Education Employees Health Insurance Plan) payments and the new fund, subrogation rules, and a statute-of-limitations provision. \"This act shall become effective immediately,\" Gavan said on the floor after amendments were adopted; the sponsor and supporters clarified certain benefit-timing and administrative provisions during debate.

Supporters — many of them current or former educators — said the bill closes a gap in protection for school employees who lack traditional workers' compensation remedies. Senator Coleman Madison, a former teacher, described a past classroom assault that left a teacher hospitalized and said educators often lack an established path to compensation after serious on-the-job injuries.

The adopted floor amendment tightened the claim window so a claimant cannot keep a claim open indefinitely while medical treatment continues; instead the statute of limitations begins to run from a reference point tied to the last temporary total disability payment (as amended). Other amendments clarified that PHIP will pay covered medical bills according to PHIP's fee schedule and that the new statute will not permit double recovery where PHIP or local boards have paid eligible amounts.

The amendments and the bill passed by recorded vote 32 ayes, 0 nays (final passage as amended). The sponsor and supporters said implementation steps include establishing the administrative board and processes described in the act; some funding steps were discussed with the Senate budget leadership but specific appropriations were not detailed on the floor.

Senate members and witnesses described the bill as filling a long-standing gap for school employees who face injuries in the classroom, and senators said they would continue work with the House and the Education budget authorities to address funding of the program.","The Senate passed Senate Bill 1 (as amended), creating the Mary Ann Leonard Educators on the Job Injury Act to provide a recovery mechanism for education employees injured on the job; the bill includes technical edits and clarifications about PHIP payments, subrogation, statute of limitations, and administrative hearings.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6325295,"Senate passes 'Parker's Law' exempting nursing mothers from jury duty",799,2137000,2936000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2334107-a7c3c6bc1b3e8b08e2e8704b0d0eb9f5&start=2137&end=2936","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2334107-a7c3c6bc1b3e8b08e2e8704b0d0eb9f5/thumbnail_2137000.jpg","/articles/6325295/Alabama/Senate-passes-Parkers-Law-exempting-nursing-mothers-from-jury-duty","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6325295-8340b25a429daa8817242c90e07af625/orig.mp4?Expires=1771049339&Signature=WfvrWeCRD~meRAWgtPRI2Ikqmh23xtmfOiBy3psKAfFV5OUTiOdM6o4jwAqamBwJr-FZHsBTjJjVmEwPmqhHgFnTywNWoPyfngU52btaCKdTbgibnlj5yNNUc8YTRf3KhGJUnql1zQLrJZqsRy40Ije-2~RqBGfjkCW-R1SpqwnsnaDscYMnOK3da0N7afhCbWFpAwRQ6d-lGKgMbGuqD2ppphs9HdOmMZq0UBj4cuJfTPE6bKLKZqkuRh~73Zxlp93SUVdYGEEm3gNlGAPcwGDSsSht-D0IoIkO0dWpmzNxXNOVF~S-KsQ89HhO8kGyyQiHPRh05py3qlyuiCut7A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Alabama Senate on a voice and roll-call vote approved Senate Bill 76, commonly called Parker's Law, a measure that exempts nursing mothers from jury duty if they provide a statement that they are nursing mothers.

The bill’s sponsor, Senator Cindy Weaver, told the Senate the measure \"offers nursing mothers an exemption from jury duty. It will provide them a solid and long lasting protection that are carved into law.\" Weaver said the chamber adopted a committee amendment and a second bipartisan amendment removing a requirement that a medical provider certify nursing status; under the amendment a mother need only state that she is nursing.

The change responding to stakeholder concerns removes an administrative attestation barrier, Weaver said. \"We have a friendly bipartisan amendment that we believe makes this bill better. It takes out the part where the mother has to have the certification from a medical provider, and it basically says that she just has to have a statement that she is a nursing mother,\" Weaver said during floor debate.

During floor discussion, several senators voiced support for the measure's intent to reduce burdens on new mothers. Senator Bell said judges already have discretion but that codifying the protection in statute is appropriate when administrative rules can be reversed. Senator Kelly and Senator Singleton also urged passage, describing the practical burdens nursing parents face when summoned for jury duty.

The Senate adopted committee and floor amendments by unanimous voice or roll calls and then approved final passage as amended by a recorded roll call of 31 ayes, 0 nays. The committee amendment gave the bill the name \"Parker's Law,\" referencing the incident that prompted the proposal, and the second amendment removed the medical-provider attestation requirement.

The bill now heads to the House for consideration. The sponsor and supporters said the intent is to create a statutory protection for nursing mothers that cannot be reversed by administrative rule alone.","The Alabama Senate passed Senate Bill 76, known as Parker's Law, to allow nursing mothers to be excused from jury duty on their statement alone; committee and bipartisan amendments removed a medical-provider attestation requirement and clarified judges' discretion.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: key actions the Alabama Senate took on multiple bills

Senate creates cabinet-level veterans post while retaining existing veterans board oversight

Senate adopts 'Educators on the Job Injury Act' to allow compensation for injured school employees

Senate passes 'Parker's Law' exempting nursing mothers from jury duty