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HB169 • 2026

Department of Archives and History; composition of board and method of filling board vacancies further provided for, retroactive effect

Department of Archives and History; composition of board and method of filling board vacancies further provided for, retroactive effect

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
Kiel
Last action
2026-04-09
Official status
On Third Reading in Second House
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill does not provide specific details on penalties for non-compliance with vacancy filling rules.

Department of Archives and History Board Changes

This bill changes the composition of the Department of Archives and History's board, including how new members are chosen and when their terms start.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the number of members on the board to include one member from each congressional district plus nine at-large members and a governor’s designee.
  • Adds two more at-large members to be selected by the existing board members.
  • Sets specific dates for when new members will start their six-year terms, based on their seat numbers.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Department of Archives and History
  • Board members of the Department of Archives and History

Terms To Know

at-large member
A board member chosen to represent the entire state, not just one specific area.
congressional district
An area within a state that elects a representative to Congress.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how the board will ensure diversity among its members.
  • It is unclear if there are any penalties for failing to follow the new rules for filling vacancies.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

DG3ZGNH-1

R 1104

Adopted

Plain English: DG3ZGNH-1 02/11/2026 THR (H) HSE 2026-73 House State Government Reported Substitute for HB169 Page 1 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT Relating to the Department of Archives and History; to amend Sections 41-6-3 and 41-6-4, Code of Alabama 1975; to further provide for the composition of the Board of Trustees of the Department of Archives and History; to further provide for the filling of vacancies on the board; and to provide for retroactive effect.

  • DG3ZGNH-1 02/11/2026 THR (H) HSE 2026-73 House State Government Reported Substitute for HB169 Page 1 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT Relating to the Department of Archives and History; to amend Sections 41-6-3 and 41-6-4, Code of Alabama 1975; to further provide for the composition of the Board of Trustees of the Department of Archives and History; to further provide for the filling of vacancies on the board; and to provide for retroactive effect.
  • BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA: Section 1.
  • Sections 41-6-3 and 41-6-4, Code of Alabama 1975, are amended to read as follows: "§41-6-3 (a) The department shall be under the control of the Board of Trustees of the Department of Archives and History, which shall consist of one member from each congressional district and the additional members selected pursuant to subsection (b) as the districts existed on January 1, 2025, nine at-large members, and the Governor or his or her designee .
  • (b) Two additional at-large members shall be selected and an additional member shall be selected from each U.S.
  • This amendment summary is using official source text because generated interpretation was skipped for this run.
L5RKDAA-1

R 1105

Adopted

Plain English: L5RKDAA-1 : 3/31/2026 : THR 1ST COLLINS AMENDMENT TO HB169 OFFERED BY REPRESENTATIVE COLLINS Page 1 Replace lines 12 through 14 on page 1 with the following: of the Department of Archives and History; and to further provide for the filling of vacancies on the board.

  • L5RKDAA-1 : 3/31/2026 : THR 1ST COLLINS AMENDMENT TO HB169 OFFERED BY REPRESENTATIVE COLLINS Page 1 Replace lines 12 through 14 on page 1 with the following: of the Department of Archives and History; and to further provide for the filling of vacancies on the board.
  • Replace line 65 on page 3 with the following: six-year term commencing January 1, 2031, and every six years Replace line 85 on page 4 with the following: six-year term commencing January 1, 2031, and every six years Replace line 93 on page 4 with the following: six-year term commencing January 1, 2023, and every six years Replace lines 159 through 161 on page 6 with the following: Section 2.
  • This act shall become effective October 1, 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 L5RKDAA-1 : 3/31/2026 : THR 1ST COLLINS AMENDMENT TO HB169 OFFERED BY REPRESENTATIVE COLLINS Page 2 Section 2.
  • This act shall become effective October 1, 2026.25
  • This amendment summary is using official source text because generated interpretation was skipped for this run.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-09 Senate

    Carried Over to the Call of the Chair

  2. 2026-04-02 Senate

    Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar

  3. 2026-04-02 Senate

    Reported Out of Committee Second House

  4. 2026-04-01 Senate

    Pending Committee Action in Second House

  5. 2026-04-01 Senate

    Read for the first time and referred to the Senate Committee on County and Municipal Government

  6. 2026-03-31 House

    Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 1106 (Yeas 66, Nays 0)

  7. 2026-03-31 House

    Motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 1105 (Yeas 66, Nays 0)

  8. 2026-03-31 House

    Motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 1104 (Yeas 66, Nays 0)

  9. 2026-03-31 House

    Third Reading in House of Origin (Yeas 66, Nays 0)

  10. 2026-03-31 House

    Engrossed

  11. 2026-03-31 House

    Collins 1st Amendment Offered

  12. 2026-03-31 House

    State Government Engrossed Substitute Offered

  13. 2026-02-12 House

    Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar

  14. 2026-02-11 House

    Reported Out of Committee House of Origin

  15. 2026-01-13 House

    Pending Committee Action in House of Origin

  16. 2026-01-13 House

    Read for the first time and referred to the House Committee on State Government

Official Summary Text

Department of Archives and History; composition of board and method of filling board vacancies further provided for, retroactive effect

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
HB169 ENGROSSED
Page 0
HB169
DG3ZGNH-2
By Representative Kiel
RFD: State Government
First Read: 13-Jan-26
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HB169 Engrossed
Page 1
First Read: 13-Jan-26
A BILL
TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
Relating to the Department of Archives and History; to
amend Sections 41-6-3 and 41-6-4, Code of Alabama 1975; to
further provide for the composition of the Board of Trustees
of the Department of Archives and History; and to further
provide for the filling of vacancies on the board.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
Section 1. Sections 41-6-3 and 41-6-4, Code of Alabama
1975, are amended to read as follows:
"§41-6-3
(a) The department shall be under the control of the
Board of Trustees of the Department of Archives and History,
which shall consist of one member from each congressional
district and the additional members selected pursuant to
subsection (b) as the districts existed on January 1, 2025,
nine at-large members, and the Governor or his or her
designee .
(b) Two additional at-large members shall be selected
and an additional member shall be selected from each U.S.
Congressional District. The additional members shall be
selected by the board of trustees and their names shall be
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HB169 Engrossed
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selected by the board of trustees and their names shall be
communicated to the Senate not later than the fifth
legislative day of the 2004 Regular Session of the
Legislature. Newly selected members shall be confirmed by the
Senate in the same manner as vacancies filled pursuant to
Section 41-6-4. The board of trustees shall select three of
the new members to serve initial terms of two years, three of
the new members to serve initial terms of four years, and
three of the new members to serve initial terms of six years.
All successor members shall serve terms of six years and shall
be selected as provided in Section 41-6-4.
(b) Each vacancy in an appointed board seat, as the
vacancy arises, whether by expiration of term of service or by
death, resignation, or removal shall be filled as follows:
(1) Seat 1, a resident of Congressional District 1, for
a six-year term commencing January 1, 2027, and every six
years thereafter, appointed by the Governor.
(2) Seat 2, a resident of Congressional District 2, for
a six-year term commencing January 1, 2029, and every six
years thereafter, appointed by the Governor.
(3) Seat 3, a resident of Congressional District 3, for
a six-year term commencing January 1, 2030, and every six
years thereafter, appointed by the Governor.
(4) Seat 4, a resident of Congressional District 4, for
a six-year term commencing January 1, 2026, and every six
years thereafter, appointed by the Governor.
(5) Seat 5, a resident of Congressional District 5, for
a six-year term commencing January 1, 2028, and every six
years thereafter, appointed by the Governor.
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HB169 Engrossed
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years thereafter, appointed by the Governor.
(6) Seat 6, a resident of Congressional District 6, for
a six-year term commencing January 1, 2028, and every six
years thereafter, appointed by the Governor.
(7) Seat 7, a resident of Congressional District 7, for
a six-year term commencing January 1, 2025, and every six
years thereafter, appointed by the Governor.
(8) Seat 8, a resident of the state at-large, for a
six-year term commencing January 1, 2031, and every six years
thereafter, appointed by the Governor.
(9) Seat 9, a resident of the state at-large, for a
six-year term commencing January 1, 2028, and every six years
thereafter, appointed by the Speaker of the House of
Representatives from three nominees provided by the Minority
Leader of the House of Representatives.
(10) Seat 10, a resident of the state at-large, for a
six-year term commencing January 1, 2030, and every six years
thereafter, appointed by the Speaker of the House of
Representatives.
(11) Seat 11, a resident of the state at-large, for a
six-year term commencing January 1, 2027, and every six years
thereafter, appointed by the Speaker of the House of
Representatives.
(12) Seat 12, a resident of the state at-large, for a
six-year term commencing January 1, 2026, and every six years
thereafter, appointed by the Speaker of the House of
Representatives.
(13) Seat 13, a resident of the state at-large, for a
six-year term commencing January 1, 2031, and every six years
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HB169 Engrossed
Page 4
six-year term commencing January 1, 2031, and every six years
thereafter, appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the
Senate.
(14) Seat 14, a resident of the state at-large, for a
six-year term commencing January 1, 2027, and every six years
thereafter, appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the
Senate.
(15) Seat 15, a resident of the state at-large, for a
six-year term commencing January 1, 2023, and every six years
thereafter, appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the
Senate from three nominees provided by the Minority Leader of
the Senate.
(16) Seat 16, a resident of the state at-large, for a
six-year term commencing January 1, 2026, and every six years
thereafter, appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the
Senate.
(c) The membership of the board of trustees appointing
authorities shall be coordinate their appointments to assure
that the membership of the board is inclusive and shall
reflect reflects the racial and, gender , geographic, urban,
rural, and economic diversity of the state.
(d) Each appointed member shall serve at the pleasure
of his or her appointing authority. "
"§41-6-4
(a) The board of trustees shall fill all vacancies
occurring on the board, whether by expiration of term of
service or by death or resignation, but the names of all
successor members shall be communicated to the current session
or the next ensuing regular session of the state Senate for
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HB169 Engrossed
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or the next ensuing regular session of the state Senate for
confirmation. If the Senate rejects any successor trustee, the
board shall proceed forthwith to fill the vacancy. All
appointments made by the Governor shall be subject to
consideration by the Senate Committee on Confirmations as the
committee deems necessary. An appointee shall continue to
serve his or her term from the date of appointment unless and
until the Senate Committee on Confirmations elects to consider
the appointment and subsequently rejects the appointment. If
the Senate Committee on Confirmations rejects an appointment,
the Secretary of the Senate shall forward the rejection to the
Governor and request a new individual be appointed.
(b) A trustee An individual appointed to succeed a
member whose term has expired shall serve for a term of six
years. A person An individual appointed to fill a vacancy
occurring by death or, resignation , or removal shall only
serve out the unexpired term of his or her predecessor. A
person whose appointment to the board has been confirmed by
the Senate shall serve beyond his or her expired term until a
successor has been confirmed by the Senate.
(c) The board shall hold at the State Capital at least
one regular meeting during every year and as many special
meetings as may be necessary, and at any meeting . a A majority
of the trustees board members shall constitute a quorum. The
Governor of the state , or his or her designee, shall be a
voting member of the board as authorized by Section 41-6-3 ,
and he or she shall , as far as possible, shall lend every
encouragement to the success and upbuilding development of the
department. The director shall be the secretary of the board.
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HB169 Engrossed
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department. The director shall be the secretary of the board.
The trustees Members of the board shall receive no
compensation for their services. Each member of the board of
trustees shall be reimbursed at the same per diem and travel
allowance amounts paid by law to state employees for each day
of attendance of the business of the board.
(d) The board may do all of the following :
(1) Adopt rules for its own government and also for the
government of the department.
(2) Elect a director and provide for the selection or
appointment of other officials or employees as may be
authorized.
(3) Provide for the publication of historical material
pertaining to the state under the supervision of the director.
(4) Control and expend such appropriations as may be
made for the maintenance of the department.
(5) Perform such other acts as may be necessary to
carry out the intent and purposes of this article."
Section 2. This act shall become effective October 1,
2026.
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HB169 Engrossed
Page 7
2026.
House of Representatives
Read for the first time and referred
to the House of Representatives
committee on State Government
................13-Jan-26
Read for the second time and placed
on the calendar:
1 amendment
................12-Feb-26
Read for the third time and passed
as amended
Yeas 61
Nays 35
Abs 6
................31-Mar-26
John Treadwell
Clerk
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