This amendment allows the Governor and top legislative leaders to fire and replace members of state boards they appointed at any time, with some exceptions.
Alabama2026Enacted
HB220
HB220: Rules for Removing and Replacing Appointed Board Members
Last scannedAug 24, 2026, 9:06 AM
In one sentence
This law allows top state leaders to remove members they appointed to certain boards at any time and requires them to appoint a qualified replacement.
What it does
- Allows the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Speaker of the House, President Pro Tempore of the Senate, Minority Leader of the House, and Minority Leader of the Senate to remove board members they appointed.
- States that these appointed members serve only as long as their leader wants them to stay.
- Requires leaders who remove a member to appoint a new person who meets all legal qualifications for the role.
- Overrides other laws that might have set different rules or processes for removing these board members.
Who it affects
- Members of state boards, authorities, and commissions appointed by top legislative leaders or the Governor.
- The Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Speaker of the House, President Pro Tempore of the Senate, Minority Leader of the House, and Minority Leader of the Senate who have power to appoint members.
Limits and unknowns
- This law does not apply to the Alabama State Port Authority.
- This law does not apply to the State Ethics Commission.
- This law does not apply to governing boards of public colleges or universities.
- The Governor cannot use this law to remove someone appointed only to fill a vacancy in an elected office.
Plain language
Terms to know
- Serve at the pleasure
- A person keeps their job only as long as the leader who appointed them wants them to stay; they can be removed without a specific reason or process.
- Appointing authority
- The official, such as the Governor or Speaker of the House, who has the legal power to choose someone for a board seat.
Official record
Sources
Official summary
This act: (1) provides that any member of a board, authority, or commission appointed by the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Speaker of the House of Representatives, the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, or the Minority Leader of the Senate serves at the pleasure of his or her respective appointing authority and may be removed by his or her respective appointing authority at any time, subject to exceptions; and (2) requires an appointing authority who removes a member to appoint a qualified replacement member.
Official activity
Bill history
- EnactedHouse
- Pringle Motion to Concur In and Adopt Senate Amendment - Adopted Roll Call 1326 (Yeas 105, Nays 0)House
- Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 1251 (Yeas 32, Nays 0)Senate
- Hovey motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 1250 (Yeas 32, Nays 0)Senate
- Hovey motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 1249 (Yeas 32, Nays 0)Senate
- Third Reading in Second House (Yeas 32, Nays 0)Senate
- Delivered to GovernorHouse
- Signature RequestedSenate
- EnrolledHouse
- Ready to EnrollHouse
- Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Development 1st Amendment OfferedSenate
- Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Development 1st Substitute OfferedSenate
- Read for the Second Time and placed on the CalendarSenate
- Reported Out of Committee Second HouseSenate
- Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Development 1st AmendmentSenate
- Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Development 1st SubstituteSenate
- Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 331 (Yeas 82, Nays 3)House
- Motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 330 (Yeas 89, Nays 0)House
- Motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 329 (Yeas 83, Nays 2)House
- Third Reading in House of Origin (Yeas 91, Nays 0)House
Changes
Amendments
4 stored
This amendment changes who can replace members on multi-member boards by listing only the Governor and the Speaker.
This amendment allows top state leaders to fire and replace members of certain government boards at any time without following other removal rules.
This amendment changes the bill to allow legislative leaders like the Speaker and Minority Leaders to replace members on boards they have the power to appoint.