HB376 Summary

• Amends Alabama Code Section 13A-3-23 to extend deadly force protections from dwellings to business premises after hours, allowing owners, employees, or authorized persons to use deadly force in self-defense or defense of others against burglary or robbery.

• Establishes legal presumption of justified deadly force use when a person reasonably believes another is committing or attempting burglary, theft, or robbery against an owner, employee, or authorized person on closed business property.

• Maintains existing exceptions where the presumption does not apply, including when the person against whom force is used has a right to be there, is a law enforcement officer performing duties, or when the person using force is engaged in unlawful activity.

• Provides immunity from criminal prosecution and civil action for persons using justified force, unless the force is determined to be unlawful, and restricts law enforcement from arrest unless probable cause exists that force was unlawful.

• Becomes effective on the first day of the third month following passage and gubernatorial approval.