HB23 - Alabama Heritage Preservation Act of 2015

• Prohibits relocation, removal, alteration, renaming, or disturbance of commemorative statues, monuments, memorials, or plaques located on public property.

• Requires entities seeking to modify such objects to petition the Alabama Legislative Council for a waiver through a deliberative process including two public hearings, eight weeks of newspaper advertisements, and consideration of public input.

• Imposes a $100,000 fine per violation for entities that remove objects of remembrance without first obtaining Legislative Council approval; fines collected by the Attorney General and deposited into the State General Fund.

• Exempts art and artifacts in museum collections and objects on property controlled by the State Department of Transportation or local highway departments that interfere with construction, maintenance, or operation of public transportation systems.

• Becomes effective immediately upon passage and approval by the Governor.