Alabama Boating Safety Task Force, established

Meeting pay and expenses for boating panel

The law creates the Alabama Boating Safety Task Force to study safety on public waters and recommend changes. Its advice is nonbinding; the law does not itself change boating rules. The panel reviews accidents, enforcement, safety education, public input, and other states’ practices. Its 15 members include six lawmakers, three state agency leaders or their chosen representatives, and six industry or conservation representatives. Appointing officials must coordinate to reflect racial, gender, geographic, urban/rural, and economic diversity. The Senate leader selects the chair, and the House Speaker selects the vice chair. The first meeting must occur by June 1, 2026. The panel can hold regional meetings to gather input, with administrative support from legislative offices. Legislative members receive legislative pay, a daily allowance, and travel expenses for each meeting day they attend. Other members receive no pay but may receive reimbursement for necessary expenses under their appointing authority’s policies. The panel must report its findings and legislative recommendations to the Governor and Legislature by November 1, 2026. It dissolves when it files that report. It must also send meeting notices, members’ names, its final report, and other documents it produces to the Secretary of State.