Title 41

There is established the Alabama Space Authority. Commencing on October 1, 2026, the name of the Alabama Space Authority shall be the Alabama Aerospace and Defense Authority, and all rights, duties, property, real or personal, and all other effects existing in the name of the Ala…

The authority shall be composed of all of the following members: (1) A representative of the University of Alabama in Huntsville, selected by the President of the University of Alabama in Huntsville. (2) The Director of the Auburn University Aviation Center, or his or her designe…

The authority shall be created as an office in the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA). ADECA shall provide for the initial support needed to apply for grant funding. Upon receipt of grant funding, ADECA shall provide administrative support for the author…

(a) The authority shall have the following duties: (1) Encourage the education and training of aerospace professionals to pioneer the frontier of space and to develop new methods and technologies for the exploration of space. (2) Promote new space exploration, space tourism, and …

For the purpose of accomplishing the duties enumerated in Section 41-23-173, the authority shall have the following powers: (1) To acquire by purchase or gift any real, personal, or mixed property necessary or convenient in connection with the purpose for which the authority is f…

Nothing in this article should be construed to limit the ability of municipalities, counties, or airport authorities incorporated or reincorporated pursuant to Title 4 from developing aerospace and spaceport infrastructure and capabilities. (Act 2017-403, §6.)

Members of the authority shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed for per diem and travel expenses at the same rate and under the same circumstances as are payable by law to state employees for each day they attend business of the authority. Per diem and travel ex…

This article shall be known and may be cited as the Alabama Public Transportation Act. (Act 2018-161, §1.)

As used in this article, the following words have the following meanings: (1) ADVISORY COMMITTEE. The Alabama Public Transportation Trust Fund Advisory Committee. (2) DEPARTMENT. The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs. (3) DIRECTOR. The Director of the Alabama D…

The Legislature finds and declares the following: (1) Alabama is in need of more safe and affordable public transportation options for residents and visitors. (2) Inadequate and inefficient public transportation in Alabama adversely affects a community’s ability to develop and ma…

(a) The Alabama Public Transportation Trust Fund is created in the State Treasury for the distribution of designated funds appropriated by the Legislature or collected from grants or other sources for the purpose of increasing public transportation options across the State of Ala…

(a) Activities funded by the trust fund shall be selected through a competitive process pursuant to rules adopted by the department with input from the advisory committee. In establishing criteria for the awarding of funds, the department shall address the transportation needs of…

(a) There is created the Alabama Public Transportation Fund Advisory Committee for the purpose of advising the director and staff of the department with respect to the administration of the trust fund; provided, however, all decisionmaking authority remains with the department. (…

The advisory committee shall do all of the following: (1) Review and advise department staff on all policies and procedures for administration of the trust fund including, but not limited to: a. Development of a process for making awards from the trust fund. b. Development of pol…

Any of the following entities are eligible to apply to the department for funding from the trust fund: (1) Not-for-profit organizations. (2) Municipalities. (3) Counties. (4) Public transit authorities. (Act 2018-161, §8.)

This article shall be known and may be cited as the Alabama Broadband Accessibility Act. (Act 2018-395, §1.)

The Legislature finds that the availability of high-speed broadband services, with the preference of speeds of 100 megabits per second of download speed and 100 megabits per second of upload speed or greater, in unserved rural Alabama is important for economic development, educat…

For the purposes of this article, the following words have the following meanings: (1) ADECA. The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs. (2) END USER. A residential, business, institutional, or government entity that uses broadband services for its own purposes and…

(a) The Director of ADECA may establish and administer the broadband accessibility grant program for the purpose of promoting the deployment and adoption of broadband Internet access services to unserved areas. The director shall adopt rules and policies to administer the program…

(a) There is created the Alabama Rural Broadband Oversight Committee. The oversight committee shall consist of the Chair of the House Ways and Means Education Committee or his or her designee, the Chair of the Senate Finance and Taxation Education Committee or his or her designee…

For the purposes of this article, the following words shall have the following meanings: (1) CALL CENTER. A physical location within the State of Alabama at which the predominant activity conducted at the location is described by NAICS Code 561422 and at which 50 or more individu…

(a) An employer that intends to relocate a call center, or one or more facilities or operating units within a call center consisting of at least 30 percent of the call center’s total volume when measured against the previous 12-month average call volume, from this state shall not…

(a) Beginning October 1, 2019, and every six months thereafter, the director shall compile a list of every employer that has relocated a call center, or one or more facilities or operating units within a call center consisting of at least 30 percent of the call center’s total vol…

(a) Except as provided in subsection (c), an employer that appears on a list compiled by the director pursuant to Section 41-23-232 is ineligible to receive from the state or any political subdivision of the state any grant, loan, or tax credit until five years after the date on …

This article applies to contracts entered into on or after September 1, 2019. (Act 2019-374, §5.)

This article may not be construed as permitting the withholding or denial of payments, compensation, or benefits from employees. Further, Sections 41-23-230 and 41-23-231 shall not be construed to alter or modify, and shall not have the effect of altering or modifying, the terms …

This article shall be known as the “Alabama Innovation Act.” (Act 2019-404, §1.)

The Legislature finds and declares that the health, safety, and welfare of the people of this state are dependent upon the continued encouragement, development, growth, and expansion of the private sector within the state. The Legislature finds that expanding upon current researc…

For the purpose of this article, the following words and phrases have the following meanings: (1) ADECA. The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs. (2) ALABAMA RESEARCH ENTITY. One or more of the following: a. A public or private university in the state in partners…

(a) The Director of ADECA may establish and administer the research and development enhancement grant program for the purpose of encouraging new and continuing efforts to conduct new or expanded research and development activities within Alabama. By September 4, 2019, the directo…

(a) The Alabama Research and Development Enhancement Oversight Committee is created. The committee shall consist of the Chair of the House Ways and Means Education Committee or designee, the Chair of the Senate Finance and Taxation Education Committee or designee, two members app…

(a) The amount of research and development enhancement grants awarded by ADECA shall be subject to the appropriations of the Legislature. No research entity shall receive a research and development enhancement grant of more than 20 percent of the maximum amount awarded in a singl…

The grant program established under this article shall be effective beginning with the fiscal year ending September 30, 2020. (Act 2019-404, §7.)

This article shall be known and may be cited as the Connect Alabama Act of 2021. (Act 2021-465, §1.)

For the purposes of this article, the following terms shall have the following meanings: (1) ADECA. The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs. (2) AUTHORITY. The Alabama Digital Expansion Authority. (3) CONNECT ALABAMA FUND. A fund created within the State Treasury…

(a) The authority is created to advise, review, and approve the statewide connectivity plan. (b)(1) The authority shall be comprised of the following members: a. Three individuals designated by the Governor, who may be members of the private sector or public officials or public e…

(a) The Alabama Digital Expansion Division is created as a division of ADECA. The division shall be run by a division chief, who shall be appointed by the Director of ADECA, with the approval of the Governor, from a list of three nominees submitted by the authority. The division …

The division, in collaboration with the authority, shall have all of the following powers and duties: (1) To promote the expansion and availability of high-speed broadband networks, services, and technologies throughout the state, including, but not limited to, rural areas, under…

Members of the authority, the division chief, and employees of the division shall be subject to Chapter 25 of Title 36. (Act 2021-465, §6.)

Meetings of the authority are subject to the requirements of Chapter 25A of Title 36. (Act 2021-465, §7.)

The division may enter into contracts and leases for any and all purposes that are in furtherance of this article or consistent with these purposes. The division shall comply with any competitive bid requirements in Article 2 of Chapter 16 and Chapter 2 of Title 39 and any requir…

(a) There is created within the State Treasury the Connect Alabama Fund to be administered by the corporation. Appropriations by the Legislature, federal funds, gifts, grants, and other donations from any source that are received by the corporation shall be deposited into the Con…

The authority shall make it a priority to consider the need for a statewide research and education network and may engage a third party consultant to develop recommendations for such a network. Upon a majority vote of its members, the authority may create an entity that will assi…

(a) The Alabama Digital Expansion Finance Corporation is hereby created as a public corporation of the State of Alabama. The corporation shall have perpetual existence, subject to the provisions for dissolution of the corporation provided in this article. The corporation shall co…

(a) Beginning May 17, 2022, and in conjunction with the annual meeting of the authority and the Alabama Rural Broadband Oversight Committee, as provided for in Section 41-23-272(e), ADECA shall provide a report to the Legislature on all of the following: (1) A summary of the goal…