HB106 Crimes and offenses; to further provide for the crime of…

Plain English Breakdown

The bill text shows a numbering inconsistency in subsection (b) where the original three options were renumbered, but the content clearly distinguishes between general doxing without harm required versus specific cases involving officials requiring actual impediment.

HB106: Changes to the Law Against Doxing

This bill changes Alabama law so that sharing private information with the intent for others to cause harm is a crime, even if no actual harm happens.

What This Bill Does

Removes the requirement that a person must actually be harassed or harmed for doxing to occur in most cases involving general individuals.
Defines personal identifying information as including home addresses and details about children's schools.
Creates stricter penalties if private info of law enforcement officers, firefighters, or public servants is shared with intent to impede their duties.
Sets the penalty for a first offense under the new rule at a Class A misdemeanor.
Increases penalties to higher-level felonies for people who commit this crime more than once.

Who It Names or Affects

People who intentionally share private information online with the goal of causing harassment or harm.
Law enforcement officers, firefighters, and public servants whose personal details are shared.
Individuals accused of violating these new doxing laws in Alabama.

Terms To Know

Doxing: The act of intentionally sharing someone's private information online with the intent that others will use it to harass or harm them.
Personal Identifying Information: Private details like a home address, photos of children, school names, or other info that could enable harassment or harm.

Limits and Unknowns

The law does not apply to political speech protected by the First Amendment.
It is still legal for anyone to share official contact information like work emails or phone numbers of public officials to encourage lobbying.
The bill becomes effective on October 1, 2026.

Official Summary Text

Crimes and offenses; to further provide for the crime of doxing; to further provide for penalties

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB106 INTRODUCED
Page 0
HB106
DGW6RNN-1
By Representative Givens
RFD: Judiciary
First Read: 13-Jan-26
PFD: 06-Jan-26
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DGW6RNN-1 09/22/2025 GED (L)ma 2025-2711
Page 1
PFD: 06-Jan-26
SYNOPSIS:
Under existing law, a person commits the crime
of doxing if he or she intentionally electronically
shares personal identifying information of another
individual with the intent that others will use that
information to harass or harm the other individual, and
the other individual is actually harassed or harmed.
This bill would further provide that a person
commits the crime of doxing if he or she intentionally
electronically shares personal identifying information
of another individual with the intent that others will
use that information to harass or harm the other
individual, regardless of whether the individual is
actually harmed.
This bill would also further provide for
penalties of initial and subsequent violations.
A BILL
TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
Relating to crimes and offenses; to amend Section
13A-11-38, Code of Alabama 1975, to further provide for the
crime of doxing; and to further provide for penalties.
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HB106 INTRODUCED
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crime of doxing; and to further provide for penalties.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
Section 1. Section 13A-11-38, Code of Alabama 1975, is
amended to read as follows:
"§13A-11-38
(a) For the purposes of this section, the following
terms have the following meanings:
(1) FIREFIGHTER. The term as defined in Section
36-21-180.
(2) GOVERNMENTAL FUNCTION. The term as defined in
Section 13A-10-1.
(3) LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER. An officer employed by the
state, county, or municipality who is certified by the Alabama
Police Officers' Standards and Training Commission and who has
the power of arrest.
(4) PERSONAL IDENTIFYING INFORMATION. Includes, but is
not limited to, all of the following:
a. Home address.
b. Photographs or information of the victim's children,
including the schools they attend.
c. Any other information that would enable the victim
to be harassed, threatened, or harmed.
(5) PUBLIC SERVANT. The term as defined in Section
13A-10-1.
(b) An individual commits the crime of doxing if he or
she does any either of the following:
(1) Intentionally electronically publishes, posts, or
provides personal identifying information of another
individual, with the intent that others will use that
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HB106 INTRODUCED
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individual, with the intent that others will use that
information to harass or harm that individual.
(2) Intentionally electronically publishes, posts, or
provides personal identifying information of another
individual, with the intent that others will use that
information to harass or harm that other individual, and the
other individual is actually harassed or harmed.
(3)(2) Intentionally electronically publishes, posts,
or provides personal identifying information of a law
enforcement officer, firefighter, or public servant, with the
intent that others will use that information to harass, harm,
or impede the duties of that law enforcement officer,
firefighter, or public servant, and the law enforcement
officer, firefighter, or public servant is actually harassed,
harmed, or impeded from performing his or her governmental
function.
(c)(1) A first violation of subsection subdivision
(b)(1) is a Class A misdemeanor.
(2) A second or subsequent violation of
subsection subdivision (b)(1) is a Class C felony.
(3) A first violation of subdivision (b)(2) or (b)(3)
is a Class C felony.
(4) A second or subsequent violation of subdivision
(b)(2) or (b)(3) is a Class B felony.
(d) Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit
any of the following:
(1) Political speech protected by the First Amendment
of the United States Constitution.
(2) The publication of contact information of public
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HB106 INTRODUCED
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(2) The publication of contact information of public
officials by any individual or organization for the purpose of
encouraging citizens to lobby the public official for or
against any policy or legislative act. For purposes of this
subdivision, contact information means an official address,
email, or phone number used by the public official for his or
her public service."
Section 2. This act shall become effective on October
1, 2026.
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