HB143 • 2026

Crimes and offenses; motor vehicle accidents, penalties for violations and restitution, revised

Crime

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Wilcox
Last action: 2026-01-13
Official status: Pending Committee Action in House of Origin
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official status metadata shows conflicting information: 'Passed Legislature' versus 'Pending Committee Action'. The effective date is set for October 1, 2026, but final passage or veto action is not confirmed in the provided text.

The Devinee and John Wesley Safe Streets Act

This bill increases criminal penalties for drivers who cause accidents through negligence or by breaking traffic laws, and it ensures victims can receive financial repayment.

What This Bill Does

Changes criminally negligent homicide caused by a driver of a vehicle or vessel from a Class C felony to a Class B felony if the driver is violating specific traffic sections.
Sets punishment for violating accident rules as a Class A misdemeanor if only property damage occurs.
Makes the penalty a Class C felony if the violation causes physical injury.
Increases the penalty to a Class B felony if the violation causes serious physical injury.
Raises the penalty to a Class A felony if the violation results in death.
Allows people who suffer loss from these crimes to be considered victims for restitution.

Who It Names or Affects

Drivers or operators of vehicles and vessels involved in accidents
People convicted of violating legal requirements after a motor vehicle accident
Individuals who suffer damage or injury due to criminal driving conduct

Terms To Know

Class A, B, C felony: Levels of serious crimes where Class A is the most severe and carries the longest possible prison time.
Criminally negligent homicide: Causing someone's death through careless or reckless behavior rather than intent to kill.
Restitution: Money paid by a person convicted of a crime to the victim for their losses or damages.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not take effect until October 1, 2026.
The text mentions specific Alabama law sections but does not define what counts as 'serious physical injury' in this summary.

Bill History

2026-01-13 House
Pending Committee Action in House of Origin
2026-01-13 House
Read for the first time and referred to the House Committee on Judiciary

Official Summary Text

Crimes and offenses; motor vehicle accidents, penalties for violations and restitution, revised

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB143 INTRODUCED
Page 0
HB143
6YCQ731-1
By Representative Wilcox
RFD: Judiciary
First Read: 13-Jan-26
PFD: 09-Jan-26
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6YCQ731-1 01/08/2026 THR (L)THR 2025-3450
Page 1
PFD: 09-Jan-26
SYNOPSIS:
Under existing law, criminally negligent
homicide caused by the driver or operator of a vehicle
or vessel is a Class C felony.
This bill would provide that criminally
negligent homicide caused by the driver or operator of
a vehicle or vessel is a Class B felony.
Under existing law, a violation of the legal
requirements for individuals involved in a motor
vehicle accident involving death or personal injury are
punished for a Class C felony.
This bill would provide that a violation of the
legal requirements for individuals involved in a motor
vehicle accident shall be punished for a Class C felony
if the violation involves a physical injury, for a
Class B felony if the violation involves a serious
physical injury, and for a Class A felony if the
violation involves a death.
This bill would also provide that any individual
who suffers any damage or loss in connection with
criminal conduct that results in a conviction for a
violation of the legal requirements for individuals
involved in a motor vehicle accident shall be
considered a victim for the purposes of restitution.
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HB143 INTRODUCED
Page 2
A BILL
TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
Relating to crimes and offenses; to amend Sections
13A-6-4 and 32-10-6, Code of Alabama 1975; to further provide
for the criminal penalties for violations related to motor
vehicle accidents; and to further provide for restitution.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as
The Devinee and John Wesley Safe Streets Act.
Section 2. Sections 13A-6-4 and 32-10-6, Code of
Alabama 1975, are amended to read as follows:
"§13A-6-4
(a) A person commits the crime of criminally negligent
homicide if he or she causes the death of another person by
criminal negligence.
(b) The jury may consider statutes and ordinances
regulating the actor's conduct in determining whether the
actor is culpably negligent under subsection (a).
(c) Criminally negligent homicide is a Class A
misdemeanor, except in cases in which the criminally negligent
homicide is caused by the driver or operator of a vehicle or
vessel who is driving or operating the vehicle or vessel in
violation of Section 32-5A-191 or 32-5A-191.3; in these cases,
criminally negligent homicide is a Class C B felony."
"§32-10-6
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HB143 INTRODUCED
Page 3
"§32-10-6
(a) Every person convicted of violating Sections
32-10-1 through 32-10-5 or any of the provisions thereof, when
such violation involved only damage to property, shall be
punished the same as prescribed by law for as follows:
(1) For a violation involving only damage to property,
a Class A misdemeanor ; provided, however, that every person
convicted of violating such sections, or any provisions
thereof, when such .
(2) For a violation involved death or personal
involving physical injury, shall be punished the same as
prescribed by law for a Class C felony.
(3) For a violation involving serious physical injury,
a Class B felony.
(4) For a violation involving death, a Class A felony.
(b) Any individual who suffers any damage or loss in
connection with criminal conduct that results in a conviction
for any violation of Sections 32-10-1 through 32-10-5 shall be
considered a victim for the purposes of Article 4A of Chapter
18 of Title 15 of the Code of Alabama 1975. "
Section 3. This act shall become effective on October
1, 2026.
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