# Alabama SB71: Administrative rules; adopting environmental protection criteria stricter than federal requirements prohibited Alabama SB71, Administrative rules; adopting environmental protection criteria stricter than federal requirements prohibited, is a 2026 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Donnie Chesteen (Republican); status enacted, last action 2026-02-20 (Enacted) (as of 2026-10-16). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-SB71-2026rs - As of: 2026-10-16 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Alabama SB71 - State: Alabama - Session: 2026 Regular Session - Title: Administrative rules; adopting environmental protection criteria stricter than federal requirements prohibited - Status: enacted - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2026-01-13 - Last action: 2026-02-20, Enacted - Sponsor: Donnie Chesteen (Republican) - Cosponsors: 0 - Subjects: Administrative Law and Procedures - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 10 (518 yes, 216 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 1 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Alabama agencies face tighter environmental rulemaking limits: cost, medium. Alabama agencies cannot adopt or amend covered numeric environmental limits that are stricter or broader than comparable federal standards. This covers drinking water, water pollution, air quality, hazardous substances, contaminated-site cleanup, and solid or hazardous waste handling. Without a com… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Donnie Chesteen (Republican), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-02-17 | House | Stubbs motion to Table - Adopted Roll Call 443 | pass | 68 | 30 | | | 2026-02-17 | House | Brown motion to Previous Question - Adopted Roll Call 446 | pass | 72 | 30 | | | 2026-02-17 | House | Third Reading in Second House | pass | 68 | 30 | 1 | | 2026-02-17 | House | Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 447 | pass | 68 | 34 | | | 2026-02-17 | House | Stubbs motion to Table - Adopted Roll Call 444 | pass | 70 | 30 | | | 2026-02-17 | House | Stubbs motion to Table - Adopted Roll Call 445 | pass | 72 | 30 | | | 2026-02-03 | Senate | Chesteen motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 206 | pass | 33 | 0 | | | 2026-02-03 | Senate | Coleman-Madison motion to Adopt - Lost Roll Call 207 | fail | 7 | 25 | | | 2026-02-03 | Senate | Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 229 | pass | 27 | 7 | | | 2026-02-03 | Senate | Third Reading in House of Origin | pass | 33 | 0 | | ## Actions (33) - 2026-02-20: Enacted (Senate) - 2026-02-19: Delivered to Governor (Senate) - 2026-02-19: Signature Requested (House) - 2026-02-18: Ready to Enroll (Senate) - 2026-02-18: Ready to Enroll (Senate) - 2026-02-18: Enrolled (Senate) - 2026-02-17: Third Reading in Second House (House) - 2026-02-17: Jones 1st Amendment Offered (House) - 2026-02-17: Stubbs motion to Table - Adopted Roll Call 443 (House) - 2026-02-17: Clarke 1st Amendment Offered (House) - 2026-02-17: Stubbs motion to Table - Adopted Roll Call 444 (House) - 2026-02-17: Lands 1st Amendment Offered (House) - 2026-02-17: Stubbs motion to Table - Adopted Roll Call 445 (House) - 2026-02-17: Brown motion to Previous Question - Adopted Roll Call 446 (House) - 2026-02-17: Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 447 (House) - 2026-02-17: Wilcox intended to vote "Abstain" (House) - 2026-02-05: Reported Out of Committee Second House (House) - 2026-02-05: Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar (House) - 2026-02-03: Third Reading in House of Origin (Senate) - 2026-02-03: County and Municipal Government 1st Amendment Offered (Senate) - 2026-02-03: Chesteen motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 206 (Senate) - 2026-02-03: Coleman-Madison 1st Amendment Offered (Senate) - 2026-02-03: Coleman-Madison motion to Adopt - Lost Roll Call 207 (Senate) - 2026-02-03: Carried Over to the Call of the Chair (Senate) - 2026-02-03: Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 229 (Senate) - 2026-02-03: Engrossed (Senate) - 2026-02-03: Read for the first time and referred to the House Committee on Agriculture and Forestry (House) - 2026-02-03: Pending Committee Action in Second House (House) - 2026-01-20: County and Municipal Government 1st Amendment (Senate) - 2026-01-20: Reported Out of Committee House of Origin (Senate) - 2026-01-20: 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 County and Municipal Government (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/SB71-int.pdf) - Engrossed: [PDF](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2026RS/SB71-eng.pdf) - Enrolled: [PDF](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2026RS/SB71-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/SB71-int.pdf) - [Engrossed (PDF)](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2026RS/SB71-eng.pdf) - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2026RS/SB71-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-SB71-2026rs (as of 2026-10-16).