HB594 Summary

• Establishes the Alabama State of Emergency Consumer Protection Act, making it a Class C felony (instead of Class A misdemeanor) for unlicensed persons to provide general contracting, residential homebuilding, HVAC, electrical, plumbing/gas fitting, or home repair services on structures damaged by events for which the Governor declared a state of emergency.

• Requires courts to order restitution to victims as a condition of probation or sentence suspension, with intentional refusal to pay considered grounds for revocation of probation or suspension.

• Exempts charitable cleanup or repair services that require no license and charge no fee from the enhanced penalties.

• Establishes that a certified copy of the Governor's emergency declaration serves as prima facie evidence of the qualifying event in the affected municipality or county.

• Does not preclude prosecution of other crimes including financial exploitation of elderly persons, theft, or insurance fraud; becomes effective three months after passage.