HB70 Summary

• Lowers the age of majority in Alabama from 19 to 18 years, granting full legal rights and abilities to 18-year-olds comparable to those over 21 years of age.

• Applies retroactively to persons who reached age 18 before the effective date without abrogating prior defenses, limitation periods, or remedies available to them.

• Establishes multiple exceptions where the age of majority change does not apply, including child support laws, health insurance benefits, guardianship proceedings, school records access, abortion laws, and juvenile court jurisdiction.

• Permits honorably discharged veterans under 19 to contract for motor vehicle purchases and allows 18-year-olds and older to consent to federally-approved institutional research.

• Retains age 19 as the minimum age restriction for tobacco product sales, maintaining existing criminal penalties of $10-$50 fines and up to 30 days of jail or hard labor.

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