# Alabama SB288: Agriculture authorities; directors on board required to appoint own successor, make purchases through national or regional governmental cooperative purchasing program authorized Alabama SB288, Agriculture authorities; directors on board required to appoint own successor, make purchases through national or regional governmental cooperative purchasing program authorized, is a 2026 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Tim Melson (Republican); status enacted, last action 2026-04-15 (Enacted) (as of 2026-10-19). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-SB288-2026rs - As of: 2026-10-19 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Alabama SB288 - State: Alabama - Session: 2026 Regular Session - Title: Agriculture authorities; directors on board required to appoint own successor, make purchases through national or regional governmental cooperative purchasing program authorized - Status: enacted - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2026-02-10 - Last action: 2026-04-15, Enacted - Sponsor: Tim Melson (Republican) - Cosponsors: 0 - Subjects: Agriculture & Forestry - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 9 (462 yes, 3 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 3 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Agriculture boards must fill early vacancies: benefit, low. Beginning October 1, 2026, boards of agriculture authorities formed before January 1, 2022, must fill directors’ early vacancies. When a director leaves before the term ends, the board must appoint a replacement. The replacement serves the rest of that term. - Agriculture authorities gain more group buying options: benefit, low. Beginning October 1, 2026, Alabama agriculture authorities can buy goods and services through more government group purchasing programs. Options include cooperatives sponsored by the National Association of Counties or its successor, and other national or regional governmental programs. Programs mu… - Tax rebates shift money to agriculture authorities: mixed, low. Beginning October 1, 2026, covered tax proceeds go back to agriculture authorities after payment to taxing authorities. This covers county and municipal sales, use, and alcohol taxes collected by authorities, their joint ventures, or their tenants and subtenants. It also covers state and local lodg… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Tim Melson (Republican), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-04-07 | Senate | Gudger Motion to Concur In and Adopt House Amendment - Adopted Roll Call 1128 | pass | 29 | 0 | | | 2026-04-02 | House | Third Reading in Second House | pass | 99 | 0 | | | 2026-04-02 | House | Motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 1187 | pass | 100 | 0 | 4 | | 2026-04-02 | House | Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 1188 | pass | 99 | 1 | 3 | | 2026-02-19 | Senate | Third Reading in House of Origin | pass | 29 | 0 | | | 2026-02-19 | Senate | Melson motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 508 | pass | 25 | 1 | | | 2026-02-19 | Senate | Melson motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 507 | pass | 26 | 0 | | | 2026-02-19 | Senate | Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 509 | pass | 26 | 1 | | | 2026-02-19 | Senate | Melson motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 490 | pass | 29 | 0 | | ## Actions (29) - 2026-04-15: Enacted (Senate) - 2026-04-07: Gudger Motion to Concur In and Adopt House Amendment - Adopted Roll Call 1128 (Senate) - 2026-04-07: Ready to Enroll (Senate) - 2026-04-07: Enrolled (Senate) - 2026-04-07: Delivered to Governor (Senate) - 2026-04-07: Signature Requested (House) - 2026-04-02: Third Reading in Second House (House) - 2026-04-02: County and Municipal Government Engrossed Substitute Offered (House) - 2026-04-02: Motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 1187 (House) - 2026-04-02: Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 1188 (House) - 2026-03-11: Reported Out of Committee Second House (House) - 2026-03-11: 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 County and Municipal Government (House) - 2026-02-24: Pending Committee Action in Second House (House) - 2026-02-19: Third Reading in House of Origin (Senate) - 2026-02-19: Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry 1st Substitute Offered (Senate) - 2026-02-19: Melson motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 490 (Senate) - 2026-02-19: Carried Over to the Call of the Chair (Senate) - 2026-02-19: Melson 1st Amendment Offered (Senate) - 2026-02-19: Melson motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 507 (Senate) - 2026-02-19: Melson 2nd Amendment Offered (Senate) - 2026-02-19: Melson motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 508 (Senate) - 2026-02-19: Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 509 (Senate) - 2026-02-19: Engrossed (Senate) - 2026-02-12: Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar (Senate) - 2026-02-11: Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry 1st Substitute (Senate) - 2026-02-11: Reported Out of Committee House of Origin (Senate) - 2026-02-10: Read for the first time and referred to the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry (Senate) - 2026-02-10: Pending Committee Action in House of Origin (Senate) ## Bill text - As Introduced: [PDF](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2026RS/SB288-int.pdf) - Engrossed: [PDF](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2026RS/SB288-eng.pdf) - Enrolled: [PDF](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2026RS/SB288-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/SB288-int.pdf) - [Engrossed (PDF)](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2026RS/SB288-eng.pdf) - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2026RS/SB288-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-SB288-2026rs (as of 2026-10-19).