House adopts mandatory law enforcement reporting proposal
The Alabama House voted to adopt a bill Tuesday that would require county and municipal law enforcement agencies to report their staffing numbers annually.
Sponsored by Rep. Juandalynn Givan, D-Birmingham, House Bill 287 would require agencies to submit their number of sworn officers to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency and the attorney general by Feb. 1 of each year, and would become effective Oct. 1 of this year.
“We’re facing a crisis across the state, and there are several municipalities in particular who are failing to report not only the number of sworn law enforcement officers, but also the crime stats for each year,” Givan said on the House floor.
Some members expressed concerns over the bill, including Rep. Kenyatte Hassell, D-Montgomery, who said publicly reporting a municipality’s staffing could prove dangerous as it would “let criminals know” of police shortages.
The House adopted the bill in a vote of 86-0, with 14 abstentions.
Effort to streamline prison-to-employment pipeline advances in House
A bill supporters hope will streamline the prison-to-employment pipeline, particularly for formerly incarcerated Alabamians seeking an occupational license, was advanced in the Alabama House on Tuesday.
The bill, House Bill 238, would prohibit occupational licensing boards from automatically denying a license to an applicant based solely on a criminal conviction, with exceptions for convictions of crimes directly related to the occupation. The bill is sponsored by Rep. Parker Moore, R-Hartselle, and backed by the Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Parole.
The bill would also provide a level of legal immunity to employers who hire individuals previously convicted of a crime in cases of negligent hiring lawsuits, with some exceptions in cases where said employee were to pose a danger to others or commit a felony.
The House ultimately adopted the bill with a vote of 97-0, with four abstensions.
Alabama House members okay bill to establish alternative GED option
Under a bill adopted by the Alabama House Tuesday, a nontraditional high school diploma option would be established for Alabamians who withdrew from high school before graduating.
Sponsored by Rep. Matt Woods, R-Jasper, House Bill 266 would establish the Restoring Educational Advancement of Completing High School Act, or REACH Act, which would help Alabamians who withdrew from high school before graduating not only receive a GED, but earn industry certifications through career readiness training.
The bill saw strong bipartisan support, having amassed dozens of cosponsors, Republicans and Democrats, and was adopted unanimously by the body with no dissenting votes or abstentions.