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AlabamaHB72026 Regular SessionHouseWALLET

Crimes and offenses, credible threat defined; penalties for crimes of making a terrorist threat in the first or second degree provided further for; principal to immediately contact law enforcement of terrorist threat, suspension of student, readmittance, and restitution provided

Sponsored By: James Lomax (Republican)

Enacted

Crimes & Offenses

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

7 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 5 costs, 1 mixed.

Threat offenders must repay response costs

Beginning July 1, 2026, people convicted or adjudicated of either degree of terrorist threat must pay restitution. This repayment is in addition to other criminal penalties and is capped at $10,000 total per person under this rule. Eligible recipients include affected property owners, schools, churches, government bodies, investigators, and prosecutors. Eligible costs include legitimate investigation and prosecution expenses. When a threat causes an emergency response, repayment can also cover reasonable direct and personnel costs for police, fire, EMS, and assisting agencies.

Students face threat suspensions and expulsion

Beginning July 1, 2026, public schools must immediately suspend students from regular classes when covered criminal charges are warranted, including terrorist-threat charges. Schools must promptly schedule a disciplinary hearing, no later than 30 calendar days after suspension or sooner under applicable procedures. The hearing determines the suspension’s length. Students charged with terrorist threats cannot return until charges are resolved, required mental-health evaluations are completed, court-prescribed counseling begins, and school-board conditions are met. A student convicted or adjudicated of either degree of terrorist threat must be expelled. Courts may also order the student and parent or guardian to repay law enforcement, EMS, and school-board costs, consistent with the $10,000 restitution cap.

Parents face costs for student damage

Beginning July 1, 2026, public-school discipline plans must hold parents or guardians responsible for students’ destructive acts against school property or another person. This applies when the student is in their care or control; foster parents are excluded from financial responsibility. School-property damage liability has exceptions when a court removed parental control or an exceptional child’s impairments caused the damage. Recovery can include actual damages and court costs. Parents or guardians summoned to a discipline conference about destructive acts must attend.

School return requires resolving criminal cases

Beginning July 1, 2026, covered school-policy violations restrict when students and school employees can return to Alabama public schools. These violations involve drugs, alcohol, weapons, physical harm, or threatened physical harm. Return requires resolution of any resulting criminal charges or offenses and meeting the local board’s additional requirements. Separate return rules apply to students charged with terrorist threats.

Students keep disability protections during discipline

Beginning July 1, 2026, students keep their applicable disability rights and procedural safeguards during school discipline and readmission. These protections come from the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. They take priority when they conflict with the law’s discipline rules. Schools must also consider a student’s applicable exceptional status when deciding whether criminal charges are warranted.

Tougher penalties for credible terrorist threats

Beginning July 1, 2026, Alabama defines a credible threat as a knowing, willful statement or conduct that reasonably causes fear for anyone’s safety. Covered threats involve violence against people or property damage using bombs, explosives, weapons of mass destruction, firearms, deadly weapons, dangerous instruments, or other mechanisms. First-degree threats are Class B felonies and cover evacuation, disruption of listed facilities, retaliation for participation in legal proceedings, threats against elected officials or staff, and intimidation of government participants. Listed facilities include schools, churches, hospitals, nursing homes, and buildings housing disabled or immobile people. Second-degree threats are generally Class A misdemeanors. They become Class D felonies with a prior terrorist-threat adjudication or conviction, or another second-degree offense within one year of any terrorist-threat offense.

Stricter school rules and educator protections

Beginning July 1, 2026, principals must immediately report covered drug, alcohol, weapon, and terrorist-threat conduct to law enforcement. This reporting duty applies to principals, not students or families. The State Board must set minimum safe-school and drug-free rules, procedures, and penalties that local boards uniformly enforce. Local boards must develop discipline plans with community input, review them annually, distribute conduct codes, and require receipt acknowledgments. Principals may sign warrants or complaints when local policies allow, and boards may adopt stricter safety rules. Educators acting within state and local rules receive liability protections.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

  • James Lomax

    Republican • House

Cosponsors

  • Alan Baker

    Republican • House

  • Allen Treadaway

    Republican • House

  • Arnold Mooney

    Republican • House

  • Brett Easterbrook

    Republican • House

  • Chad Robertson

    Republican • House

  • Chip Brown

    Republican • House

  • Craig Lipscomb

    Republican • House

  • Danny Crawford

    Republican • House

  • David Faulkner

    Republican • House

  • David Standridge

    Republican • House

  • Ed Oliver

    Republican • House

  • Jeana Ross

    Republican • House

  • Jeff Sorrells

    Republican • House

  • Jeremy Gray

    Democratic • House

  • Jerry Starnes

    Republican • House

  • Jim Carns

    Republican • House

  • Kenneth Paschal

    Republican • House

  • Kerry (Bubba) Underwood

    Republican • House

  • Leigh Hulsey

    Republican • House

  • Mack Butler

    Republican • House

  • Margie Wilcox

    Republican • House

  • Mark Gidley

    Republican • House

  • Matthew Hammett

    Republican • House

  • Member 110857

    Affiliation unavailable

  • Mike Kirkland

    Republican • House

  • Patrick Sellers

    Democratic • House

  • Phillip Pettus

    Republican • House

  • Phillip Rigsby

    Republican • House

  • Rick Rehm

    Republican • House

  • Ritchie Whorton

    Republican • House

  • Ron Bolton

    Republican • House

  • Russell Bedsole

    Republican • House

  • Scott Stadthagen

    Republican • House

  • Shane Stringer

    Republican • House

  • Steve Hurst

    Republican • House

  • Thomas Jackson

    Democratic • House

  • Tim Wadsworth

    Republican • House

  • Tracy Estes

    Republican • House

  • Troy Stubbs

    Republican • House

  • William Brock Colvin

    Republican • House

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 416 • No: 7

House vote • 3/31/2026

Lomax Concur In and Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 1116

Yes: 66 • No: 0 • Other: 32

Senate vote • 3/19/2026

Woods motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 954

Yes: 32 • No: 0

Senate vote • 3/19/2026

Third Reading in Second House

Yes: 29 • No: 3

Senate vote • 3/19/2026

Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 955

Yes: 29 • No: 3

House vote • 2/5/2026

Motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 288

Yes: 87 • No: 0 • Other: 15

House vote • 2/5/2026

Third Reading in House of Origin

Yes: 88 • No: 0 • Other: 13

House vote • 2/5/2026

Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 289

Yes: 85 • No: 1 • Other: 15

Actions Timeline

  1. Enacted

    4/8/2026House

  2. Enrolled

    4/1/2026House

  3. Signature Requested

    4/1/2026Senate

  4. Delivered to Governor

    4/1/2026House

  5. Lomax Concur In and Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 1116

    3/31/2026House

  6. Ready to Enroll

    3/31/2026House

  7. Third Reading in Second House

    3/19/2026Senate

  8. Judiciary 1st Amendment Offered

    3/19/2026Senate

  9. Woods motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 954

    3/19/2026Senate

  10. Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 955

    3/19/2026Senate

  11. Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar

    2/19/2026Senate

  12. Judiciary 1st Amendment

    2/18/2026Senate

  13. Reported Out of Committee Second House

    2/18/2026Senate

  14. Third Reading in House of Origin

    2/5/2026House

  15. Judiciary 1st Substitute Offered

    2/5/2026House

  16. Motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 288

    2/5/2026House

  17. Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 289

    2/5/2026House

  18. Ross intended to vote "Yea"

    2/5/2026House

  19. Engrossed

    2/5/2026House

  20. Read for the first time and referred to the Senate Committee on Judiciary

    2/5/2026Senate

  21. Pending Committee Action in Second House

    2/5/2026Senate

  22. Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar

    1/29/2026House

  23. Judiciary 1st Substitute

    1/28/2026House

  24. Reported Out of Committee House of Origin

    1/28/2026House

  25. Read for the first time and referred to the House Committee on Judiciary

    1/13/2026House

Bill Text

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