HB317 Summary: Alabama Jobs Enhancement Act

• Amends notification and confidentiality requirements for economic development incentives, requiring Secretary of Commerce notification when entities claim specified state incentives including capital investment credits, site preparation grants, and training assistance exceeding $1,000,000 annually.

• Designates economic development professionals as non-lobbyists when advancing good faith economic development projects, excluding those seeking legislative discretionary funds beyond statutory authorization; provision expires April 1, 2019.

• Authorizes State Industrial Development Authority to issue up to $100,000,000 in bonds for site preparation grants, with limits of $10,000,000 per two-year period and $40,000,000 outstanding at any time, excluding refunding bonds.

• Establishes tiered grant structure for qualifying industrial projects based on capital costs, ranging from 5% for projects under $200,000 to 0.75% for projects exceeding $10,000,000, with minimum grants of $10,000-$100,000 depending on project size.

• Requires 20% of grant funds to be expended in rural areas and high-unemployment regions; Director must report annually to legislature on grant distribution and rural area allocation.