SB53 Summary

• Amends Section 106 of the Alabama Constitution to require special, private, or local bills to be advertised in a newspaper of general circulation in the affected county for four consecutive weeks prior to introduction.

• Provides alternative notice procedures when no newspaper of general circulation exists in a county, including posting notices at five different locations for two consecutive weeks and publication through electronic or other media as the Legislature may provide.

• Requires proof of notice to be certified by the clerk of the house or secretary of the senate and attached to the original bill copy, then filed with the department of archives and history as a public record.

• Establishes procedures for amending special, private, or local bills during the legislative process, limiting amendments to members whose districts are affected and requiring amendments to relate to the bill's advertised subject matter without fundamentally altering its features.

• Implements a 48-hour delay requirement after amendment adoption before final passage in the house of origin, with exceptions on the 30th legislative day or adjournment sine die.