# Alabama HB277: Seafood; oyster aquaculture, licensees authorized to serve oysters at facility

Alabama HB277, Seafood; oyster aquaculture, licensees authorized to serve oysters at facility, is a 2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Margie Wilcox (Republican); status enacted, last action 2026-03-17 (Enacted) (as of 2026-10-19).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-HB277-2026rs
- As of: 2026-10-19
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Alabama HB277
- State: Alabama
- Session: 2026 Regular Session
- Title: Seafood; oyster aquaculture, licensees authorized to serve oysters at facility
- Status: enacted
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2026-01-15
- Last action: 2026-03-17, Enacted
- Sponsor: Margie Wilcox (Republican)
- Cosponsors: 2
- Subjects: Health
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 4 (260 yes, 0 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 1

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Oyster farms can offer free tastings: benefit, low. Beginning October 1, 2026, licensed Alabama oyster growers can harvest, shuck, and serve oysters for free tastings at their facilities. Samples must cost consumers nothing and let them judge qualities such as taste and texture. This permission overrides conflicting laws and rules, including permit…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Margie Wilcox (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Chip Brown (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Matt Simpson (Republican), House

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-03-05 | Senate | Third Reading in Second House | pass | 28 | 0 |   |
| 2026-03-05 | Senate | Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 717 | pass | 28 | 0 |   |
| 2026-01-27 | House | Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 178 | pass | 102 | 0 | 1 |
| 2026-01-27 | House | Third Reading in House of Origin | pass | 102 | 0 | 1 |

## Actions (17)

- 2026-03-17: Enacted (House)
- 2026-03-10: Delivered to Governor (House)
- 2026-03-10: Signature Requested (Senate)
- 2026-03-05: Third Reading in Second House (Senate)
- 2026-03-05: Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 717 (Senate)
- 2026-03-05: Ready to Enroll (House)
- 2026-03-05: Enrolled (House)
- 2026-02-12: Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar (Senate)
- 2026-02-11: Reported Out of Committee Second House (Senate)
- 2026-01-27: Third Reading in House of Origin (House)
- 2026-01-27: Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 178 (House)
- 2026-01-27: Read for the first time and referred to the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry (Senate)
- 2026-01-27: Pending Committee Action in Second House (Senate)
- 2026-01-21: Reported Out of Committee House of Origin (House)
- 2026-01-21: Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar (House)
- 2026-01-15: Read for the first time and referred to the House Committee on Ports, Waterways and Intermodal Transit (House)
- 2026-01-15: Pending Committee Action in House of Origin (House)

## Bill text

- As Introduced: [PDF](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2026RS/HB277-int.pdf)
- Enrolled: [PDF](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2026RS/HB277-enr.pdf)

## Related bills

- HB67: Voter Information; limit cost of reproducing voter registration list; crime for misuse of personal voter information; created (enacted)
- SB154: State employees, cost-of-living increase for fiscal year beginning October 1, 2026 (enacted)
- SB165: Elections; municipal elections, to set qualification fee amounts, to require indigent candidates to submit documentation for fee exemption (enacted)
- HB317: Firefighter distinctive license plate; fire chaplains included, penalty for violations provided for (enacted)
- SB272: Open Records; use of public records relating to schools for certain solicitation purposes prohibited; redaction of certain information relating to financial tr… (enacted)
- SB190: Sales Tax; to exempt Precision Ocular (enacted)

## Sources
- [As Introduced (PDF)](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2026RS/HB277-int.pdf)
- [Enrolled (PDF)](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2026RS/HB277-enr.pdf)

## Related
- [HB67: Voter Information; limit cost of reproducing voter registration list; crime for…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-HB67-2026rs)
- [SB154: State employees, cost-of-living increase for fiscal year beginning October 1, 2…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-SB154-2026rs)
- [SB165: Elections; municipal elections, to set qualification fee amounts, to require in…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-SB165-2026rs)
- [HB317: Firefighter distinctive license plate; fire chaplains included, penalty for vio…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-HB317-2026rs)
- [SB272: Open Records; use of public records relating to schools for certain solicitatio…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-SB272-2026rs)
- [SB190: Sales Tax; to exempt Precision Ocular](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-SB190-2026rs)
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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-HB277-2026rs (as of 2026-10-19).