# Alabama SB118: Alabama Justice Information Commission; collection, dissemination, and use of biometric identifiers by certain entities provided for; Alabama Background Check Service established, types, uses, and fees for certain background checks for noncriminal justice purposes authorized; Alabama Rap Back Program established, penalties provided for; existing law relating to release of criminal history information repealed Alabama SB118, Alabama Justice Information Commission; collection, dissemination, and use of biometric identifiers by certain entities provided for; Alabama Background Check Service established, types, uses, and fees for certain background checks for noncriminal justice purposes authorized; Alabama Rap Back Program established, penalties provided for; existing law relating to release of criminal history information repealed, is a 2026 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Lance Bell (Republican); status enacted, last action 2026-04-08 (Enacted); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-16). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-SB118-2026rs - As of: 2026-10-16 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Alabama SB118 - State: Alabama - Session: 2026 Regular Session - Title: Alabama Justice Information Commission; collection, dissemination, and use of biometric identifiers by certain entities provided for; Alabama Background Check Service established, types, uses, and fees for certain background checks for noncriminal justice purposes authorized; Alabama Rap Back Program established, penalties provided for; existing law relating to release of criminal history information repealed - Status: enacted - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2026-01-13 - Last action: 2026-04-08, Enacted - Sponsor: Lance Bell (Republican) - Cosponsors: 0 - Subjects: Authorities, Boards, & Commissions - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 8 (443 yes, 5 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 7 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Fugitive custody records removed after qualifying outcomes: benefit, low. Beginning October 1, 2026, agencies must report specified outcomes for people held as fugitives within 30 days. This covers release without charge, return to the jurisdiction of the underlying arrest, or clearance through criminal proceedings. Alabama's law enforcement agency must then remove that… - Privacy protections for people facing background checks: benefit, low. Beginning October 1, 2026, Alabama's law enforcement agency generally needs express permission to release background-check information, unless another law allows release. Checks on people under 18 require parental consent. Requesters must keep permission for three years or the person's association… - Fees for organizations requesting background checks: cost, low. Beginning October 1, 2026, Alabama's law enforcement agency may charge requesters up to $30 per background-check report and may waive it. Federal check costs, transaction charges, a reasonable one-time account fee, and vendor convenience fees may apply separately. Requests from the state's police s… - Annual monitoring fees paid by enrolling organizations: cost, low. Beginning October 1, 2026, Alabama's law enforcement agency may charge up to $12 yearly per person enrolled in Rap Back. The enrolling organization owes the fee; the law does not bill the enrolled person directly. When several organizations enroll the same person, each owes the full maintenance and… - New background checks for workers and renters: mixed, low. Beginning October 1, 2026, Alabama's law enforcement agency must run a centralized background-check service, replacing the prior release law. Authorized employers, landlords, licensing offices, schools, nonprofits, and other approved requesters can obtain checks for allowed purposes. Name searches… - Ongoing record checks with privacy limits: mixed, low. Beginning October 1, 2026, the law authorizes Alabama's law enforcement agency to start Rap Back, an ongoing criminal-record notification program. Starting it requires joining the FBI service; a state-only service is also allowed for authorized entities ineligible for federal notices. Organizations… - Police collect and search more identifying data: mixed, low. Beginning October 1, 2026, arresting agencies must collect fingerprints, palm prints, a mugshot, and required personal details. Agencies may collect added identifiers, including iris scans, scar or tattoo images, and DNA, as authorized. They may collect identifying data from fugitives and must coll… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Lance Bell (Republican), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-04-01 | Senate | Givhan Motion to Concur In and Adopt House Amendment to SB118 | pass | 32 | 0 | | | 2026-03-17 | House | Motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 969 | pass | 97 | 2 | 3 | | 2026-03-17 | House | Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 970 | pass | 100 | 1 | 2 | | 2026-03-17 | House | Third Reading in Second House | pass | 99 | 0 | 5 | | 2026-02-03 | Senate | Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 231 | pass | 33 | 0 | | | 2026-02-03 | Senate | Figures motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 230 | pass | 33 | 0 | | | 2026-01-20 | Senate | Third Reading in House of Origin | pass | 24 | 1 | | | 2026-01-20 | Senate | Bell motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 56 | pass | 25 | 1 | | ## Actions (28) - 2026-04-08: Enacted (Senate) - 2026-04-01: Givhan Motion to Concur In and Adopt House Amendment to SB118 (Senate) - 2026-04-01: Ready to Enroll (Senate) - 2026-04-01: Enrolled (Senate) - 2026-04-01: Delivered to Governor (Senate) - 2026-04-01: Signature Requested (House) - 2026-03-17: Third Reading in Second House (House) - 2026-03-17: Judiciary 1st Substitute Offered (House) - 2026-03-17: Motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 969 (House) - 2026-03-17: Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 970 (House) - 2026-02-19: Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar (House) - 2026-02-18: Judiciary 1st Substitute (House) - 2026-02-18: Reported Out of Committee Second House (House) - 2026-02-03: Figures 1st Amendment Offered (Senate) - 2026-02-03: Figures motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 230 (Senate) - 2026-02-03: Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 231 (Senate) - 2026-02-03: Engrossed (Senate) - 2026-02-03: Read for the first time and referred to the House Committee on Judiciary (House) - 2026-02-03: Pending Committee Action in Second House (House) - 2026-01-20: Third Reading in House of Origin (Senate) - 2026-01-20: Veterans, Military Affairs and Public Safety 1st Amendment Offered (Senate) - 2026-01-20: Bell motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 56 (Senate) - 2026-01-20: Carried Over (Senate) - 2026-01-14: Veterans, Military Affairs and Public Safety 1st Amendment (Senate) - 2026-01-14: Reported Out of Committee House of Origin (Senate) - 2026-01-14: Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar (Senate) - 2026-01-13: Read for the first time and referred to the Senate Committee on Veterans, Military Affairs and Public Safety (Senate) - 2026-01-13: Pending Committee Action in House of Origin (Senate) ## Bill text - As Introduced: [PDF](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2026RS/SB118-int.pdf) - Engrossed: [PDF](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2026RS/SB118-eng.pdf) - Enrolled: [PDF](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2026RS/SB118-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/SB118-int.pdf) - [Engrossed (PDF)](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2026RS/SB118-eng.pdf) - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2026RS/SB118-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-SB118-2026rs (as of 2026-10-16).