# Alabama SB138: Convicted felons; restrictions on obtaining occupational licenses by convicted felons revised; certificate of employability for convicted felons created; immunity to employers provided Alabama SB138, Convicted felons; restrictions on obtaining occupational licenses by convicted felons revised; certificate of employability for convicted felons created; immunity to employers provided, is a 2025 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Rodger M. Smitherman (Democratic); status enacted, last action 2025-05-14 (Enacted); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-16). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-SB138-2025rs - As of: 2026-10-16 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Alabama SB138 - State: Alabama - Session: 2025 Regular Session - Title: Convicted felons; restrictions on obtaining occupational licenses by convicted felons revised; certificate of employability for convicted felons created; immunity to employers provided - Status: enacted - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2025-02-06 - Last action: 2025-05-14, Enacted - Sponsor: Rodger M. Smitherman (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 0 - Subjects: Incarceration - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 7 (313 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 5 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Fewer criminal record barriers to licenses: benefit, high. Beginning October 1, 2025, covered Alabama licensing boards cannot deny licenses based on convictions unrelated to the work. They also cannot rely on pardoned, sealed, expunged, nullified, or confidential convictions, or arrests without convictions when no charges remain pending. Boards cannot use… - Court help for licenses excludes some: mixed, medium. Beginning October 1, 2025, a valid court order of limited relief gives applicants favorable assumptions in covered licensing decisions. Boards must presume rehabilitation, fitness for a license, and that the conviction is unrelated to the work. Boards can still consider the underlying conduct; the… - Early license answers for job seekers: mixed, medium. Beginning October 1, 2025, people with convictions can request an Alabama licensing board's written answer before applying. Requests must include relevant information; boards must answer within 30 days of receipt and explain disqualifications using the required factors. Boards may charge up to $20… - Job certificates for eligible parolees: mixed, medium. Beginning October 1, 2025, Alabama's Board of Pardons and Paroles must create employability certificates and notify people in state prison. It must issue certificates to eligible people upon release on parole. Board criteria must consider prison discipline and completed programs or useful skills ga… - Hiring protections limit some injury claims: mixed, low. Beginning October 1, 2025, employers gain limited protection when hiring someone with a relief order or employability certificate. Employers must know about the document at hiring; it can show reasonable care and shield conviction-based negligent-hiring claims. Other claims about the employee's con… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Rodger M. Smitherman (Democratic), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-29 | House | Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 1133 | pass | 83 | 0 | 19 | | 2025-04-29 | House | Third Reading in Second House | pass | 89 | 0 | 13 | | 2025-03-06 | Senate | Weaver motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 314 | pass | 28 | 0 | | | 2025-03-06 | Senate | Smitherman motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 313 | pass | 28 | 0 | | | 2025-03-06 | Senate | Smitherman motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 312 | pass | 28 | 0 | | | 2025-03-06 | Senate | Third Reading in House of Origin | pass | 28 | 0 | | | 2025-03-06 | Senate | Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 315 | pass | 29 | 0 | | ## Actions (27) - 2025-05-14: Enacted (Senate) - 2025-05-01: Signature Requested (House) - 2025-05-01: Delivered to Governor (Senate) - 2025-04-30: Ready to Enroll (Senate) - 2025-04-30: Enrolled (Senate) - 2025-04-29: Carried Over to the Call of the Chair (House) - 2025-04-29: Third Reading in Second House (House) - 2025-04-29: Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 1133 (House) - 2025-04-03: Reported Out of Committee Second House (House) - 2025-04-03: Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar (House) - 2025-03-06: Third Reading in House of Origin (Senate) - 2025-03-06: Judiciary 1st Amendment Offered (Senate) - 2025-03-06: Judiciary 2nd Amendment Offered (Senate) - 2025-03-06: Smitherman motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 312 (Senate) - 2025-03-06: Smitherman motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 313 (Senate) - 2025-03-06: Weaver 1st Amendment Offered (Senate) - 2025-03-06: Weaver motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 314 (Senate) - 2025-03-06: Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 315 (Senate) - 2025-03-06: Engrossed (Senate) - 2025-03-06: Read for the first time and referred to the House Committee on Judiciary (House) - 2025-03-06: Pending Committee Action in Second House (House) - 2025-02-27: Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar (Senate) - 2025-02-26: Judiciary 1st Amendment (Senate) - 2025-02-26: Judiciary 2nd Amendment (Senate) - 2025-02-26: Reported Out of Committee House of Origin (Senate) - 2025-02-06: Read for the first time and referred to the Senate Committee on Judiciary (Senate) - 2025-02-06: Pending Committee Action in House of Origin (Senate) ## Bill text - As Introduced: [PDF](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2025RS/SB138-int.pdf) - Engrossed: [PDF](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2025RS/SB138-eng.pdf) - Enrolled: [PDF](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2025RS/SB138-enr.pdf) ## Related bills - HB52: Income Taxes; to make technical changes to the funding provisions of the CHOOSE Act credits and increase funding, and to extend the sunset date for deductions… (enacted) - SB331: Barbour County, compensation of the judge of probate further provided for (enacted) - SB102: Medicaid; providing presumptive eligibility to pregnant women (enacted) - HB445: Cannabinoids found in hemp; licensure and regulation of sale of consumable cannabinoid products by Alcoholic Beverage Control Board imposed (enacted) - HB357: Tobacco products, heated tobacco product definition and tax provided for (enacted) - HB349: Russell County; sheriff, salary further provided (enacted) ## Sources - [As Introduced (PDF)](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2025RS/SB138-int.pdf) - [Engrossed (PDF)](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2025RS/SB138-eng.pdf) - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2025RS/SB138-enr.pdf) ## Related - [HB52: Income Taxes; to make technical changes to the funding provisions of the CHOOSE…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-HB52-2025rs) - [SB331: Barbour County, compensation of the judge of probate further provided for](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-SB331-2025rs) - [SB102: Medicaid; providing presumptive eligibility to pregnant women](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-SB102-2025rs) - [HB445: Cannabinoids found in hemp; licensure and regulation of sale of consumable cann…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-HB445-2025rs) - [HB357: Tobacco products, heated tobacco product definition and tax provided for](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-HB357-2025rs) - [HB349: Russell County; sheriff, salary further provided](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-HB349-2025rs) - [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-SB138-2025rs (as of 2026-10-16).