# Alabama SB297: Office of Water Resources; division chief as exempt service employee, established; duties further provided

Alabama SB297, Office of Water Resources; division chief as exempt service employee, established; duties further provided, is a 2025 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Garlan Gudger (Republican); status enacted, last action 2025-05-06 (Enacted) (as of 2026-10-16).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-SB297-2025rs
- As of: 2026-10-16
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Alabama SB297
- State: Alabama
- Session: 2025 Regular Session
- Title: Office of Water Resources; division chief as exempt service employee, established; duties further provided
- Status: enacted
- Chamber: Senate
- Introduced: 2025-04-03
- Last action: 2025-05-06, Enacted
- Sponsor: Garlan Gudger (Republican)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Subjects: Government Administration
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 4 (256 yes, 2 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 1

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Alabama water chief leaves Merit System: cost, low. Beginning October 1, 2025, Alabama’s Office of Water Resources division chief serves outside the state Merit System, as an exempt employee. The director appoints and directly supervises the chief, with the Governor’s approval required for appointment. The chief carries out the office’s duties and m…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Garlan Gudger (Republican), 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 1101 | pass | 102 | 1 |   |
| 2025-04-29 | House | Third Reading in Second House | pass | 102 | 1 |   |
| 2025-04-10 | Senate | Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 657 | pass | 26 | 0 |   |
| 2025-04-10 | Senate | Third Reading in House of Origin | pass | 26 | 0 |   |

## Actions (17)

- 2025-05-06: Enacted (Senate)
- 2025-04-29: Third Reading in Second House (House)
- 2025-04-29: Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 1101 (House)
- 2025-04-29: Ready to Enroll (Senate)
- 2025-04-29: Enrolled (Senate)
- 2025-04-29: Delivered to Governor (Senate)
- 2025-04-29: Signature Requested (House)
- 2025-04-17: Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar (House)
- 2025-04-16: Reported Out of Committee Second House (House)
- 2025-04-10: Third Reading in House of Origin (Senate)
- 2025-04-10: Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 657 (Senate)
- 2025-04-10: Read for the first time and referred to the House Committee on State Government (House)
- 2025-04-10: Pending Committee Action in Second House (House)
- 2025-04-09: Reported Out of Committee House of Origin (Senate)
- 2025-04-09: Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar (Senate)
- 2025-04-03: Read for the first time and referred to the Senate Committee on Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Development (Senate)
- 2025-04-03: Pending Committee Action in House of Origin (Senate)

## Bill text

- As Introduced: [PDF](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2025RS/SB297-int.pdf)
- Enrolled: [PDF](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2025RS/SB297-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/SB297-int.pdf)
- [Enrolled (PDF)](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2025RS/SB297-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)
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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-SB297-2025rs (as of 2026-10-16).