# Alabama HB493: Shelby County; City of Helena, civil service system established, board, director, policies, and appeals created Alabama HB493, Shelby County; City of Helena, civil service system established, board, director, policies, and appeals created, is a 2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Leigh Hulsey (Republican); status enacted, last action 2026-03-13 (Enacted); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-16). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-HB493-2026rs - As of: 2026-10-16 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Alabama HB493 - State: Alabama - Session: 2026 Regular Session - Title: Shelby County; City of Helena, civil service system established, board, director, policies, and appeals created - Status: enacted - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2026-02-24 - Last action: 2026-03-13, Enacted - Sponsor: Leigh Hulsey (Republican) - Cosponsors: 3 - Subjects: Shelby County - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 6 (257 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 11 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Helena workers gain formal discipline appeals: benefit, low. Regular-status Helena employees can appeal dismissal, demotion or suspensions that qualify for a hearing. They must file a written answer and hearing request with the director and mayor within 10 calendar days after notice. An Alabama-licensed practicing attorney holds the hearing within 30 calenda… - Helena workers keep earned leave and pay: benefit, low. Helena cannot reduce regular-service workers’ sick leave, vacation, overtime or compensation already earned by June 1, 2026. This protection does not extend to amounts earned after that date. Same-class transfers can change shifts, locations or schedules, but must preserve the work-week basis, seni… - Helena hiring includes probation and temporary jobs: mixed, medium. Helena generally must fill nonexempt regular jobs from candidates certified by the personnel director; improper appointments can lose payroll certification. Higher-level vacancies use promotion when practical unless the appointing authority decides otherwise; promotions must add duties and responsi… - Helena replaces city employee job protections: mixed, medium. Beginning June 1, 2026, this law replaces Helena’s 1992 civil-service law. Employees holding regular full-time city jobs on that date keep regular status unless their positions are exempt. Exempt groups include part-time, seasonal and temporary workers, elected officials, designated city officers,… - Helena sets worker pay and promotion rules: mixed, medium. Helena’s council must adopt salary ranges with minimum, middle and maximum rates, effective within 30 days after adoption. Ranges must reflect job demands, local pay and benefits, recruitment experience and city finances. New hires generally start at the minimum; increases require satisfactory perf… - Helena workers face discipline and unpaid suspensions: mixed, medium. Helena can dismiss, demote or suspend regular employees for cause or reasons serving the public interest. Causes include misconduct, poor performance, insubordination, specified criminal convictions and rule or safety violations. Written notice must state the action, reason and effective date, with… - Helena candidates get limited job return rights: mixed, low. Beginning June 1, 2026, regular Helena employees seeking public office must resign to use this return-to-work process. They must submit a written resignation stating its purpose to the appointing authority and copy the personnel director. The resignation counts as unpaid leave only if they request… - Helena creates employee oversight and rules: mixed, low. Helena’s three-member personnel board adopts rules, hears appeals and meets at least twice yearly. Regular-service employees elect one member, the mayor and council appoint another, and those two select the third. Initial terms are four, three and two years, respectively; later terms are four years… - Helena protects fair hiring, limits workplace politics: mixed, low. Beginning June 1, 2026, Helena civil-service employment decisions cannot discriminate on grounds protected by federal law. Officials cannot seek political endorsements for appointments or use jobs, raises or work benefits to influence political action. City employees can support candidates, donate,… - Helena workers get job review rights: mixed, low. Helena must maintain a job classification plan covering titles, duties, qualifications and pay grades, excluding the mayor and council. Classified jobs must use listed titles and receive a classification review at least every five years. The mayor can recommend, and the council approve, job changes… - Helena workers get shared holiday rules: mixed, low. Helena’s council sets holidays, and all regular city employees receive the same number. Workers required to work on an observed holiday receive compensation under this law and federal law. Employees in non-pay status do not earn extra holiday time; the provision also lists leave of absence and paid… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Leigh Hulsey (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Arnold Mooney (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Kenneth Paschal (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Russell Bedsole (Republican), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-03-05 | House | Hulsey Concur In and Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 792 | pass | 102 | 0 | | | 2026-03-05 | Senate | Chambliss motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 711 | pass | 27 | 0 | | | 2026-03-05 | Senate | Third Reading in Second House | pass | 27 | 0 | | | 2026-03-05 | Senate | Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 712 | pass | 27 | 0 | | | 2026-02-26 | House | Third Reading in House of Origin | pass | 56 | 0 | 45 | | 2026-02-26 | House | Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 602 | pass | 18 | 0 | 83 | ## Actions (21) - 2026-03-13: Enacted (House) - 2026-03-05: Third Reading in Second House (Senate) - 2026-03-05: Shelby County Legislation 1st Amendment Offered (Senate) - 2026-03-05: Chambliss motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 711 (Senate) - 2026-03-05: Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 712 (Senate) - 2026-03-05: Hulsey Concur In and Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 792 (House) - 2026-03-05: Ready to Enroll (House) - 2026-03-05: Enrolled (House) - 2026-03-05: Signature Requested (Senate) - 2026-03-05: Delivered to Governor (House) - 2026-03-03: Shelby County Legislation 1st Amendment (Senate) - 2026-03-03: Reported Out of Committee Second House (Senate) - 2026-03-03: Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar (Senate) - 2026-02-26: Third Reading in House of Origin (House) - 2026-02-26: Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 602 (House) - 2026-02-26: Read for the first time and referred to the Senate Committee on Shelby County Legislation (Senate) - 2026-02-26: Pending Committee Action in Second House (Senate) - 2026-02-25: Reported Out of Committee House of Origin (House) - 2026-02-25: Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar (House) - 2026-02-24: Read for the first time and referred to the House Committee on Shelby County Legislation (House) - 2026-02-24: Pending Committee Action in House of Origin (House) ## Bill text - As Introduced: [PDF](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2026RS/HB493-int.pdf) - Enrolled: [PDF](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2026RS/HB493-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/HB493-int.pdf) - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2026RS/HB493-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) - [Alabama bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/alabama/bills) - [Alabama state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/alabama) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-HB493-2026rs (as of 2026-10-16).