HB191 • 2026

Escambia County; district court, location of holding court for cases arising under ordinances of certain municipalities authorized, constitutional amendment

Elections

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor: Baker (A)
Last action: 2026-03-17
Official status: Enacted
Effective date: Effective

Plain English Breakdown

The official source uses the phrase 'no municipal court' rather than 'municipal courthouse,' though they are functionally similar in this context; the explanation was adjusted to match the text exactly.

Escambia County Court Location Amendment

This bill proposes a change to the Alabama Constitution that allows district courts in Escambia County to hold trials for city rule violations at the county courthouse if the city does not have its own court.

What This Bill Does

Proposes an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 2022 specifically for Escambia County.
Allows the district court to meet in the county courthouse for cases involving local city rules (ordinances).
Applies only when a municipality within the county does not have its own municipal court.
Requires voters to approve the change by majority vote before it becomes law.

Who It Names or Affects

The district courts in Escambia County
Cities and towns in Escambia County that do not have a municipal court
People involved in cases regarding city rule violations in those areas

Terms To Know

Constitutional Amendment: A formal change to the state's main law document that requires voter approval.
Ordinance: A local rule or law made by a city government.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill only applies to Escambia County and does not change rules for other counties.
This proposal is not active until voters approve it in an election.
The text does not specify which cities currently lack a municipal court.

Bill History

2026-03-17 House
Delivered to Governor
2026-02-17 House
Enacted
2026-02-17 House
Sent to Secretary of State
2026-02-17 House
Delivered to Governor
2026-02-17 Senate
Signature Requested
2026-02-12 Senate
Chambliss Local Certification Resolution - Adopted Roll Call 364 (Yeas 29, Nays 0)
2026-02-12 Senate
Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 363 (Yeas 29, Nays 0)
2026-02-12 Senate
Third Reading in Second House (Yeas 29, Nays 0)
2026-02-12 House
Enrolled
2026-02-12 House
Ready to Enroll
2026-02-10 Senate
Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar
2026-02-10 Senate
Reported Out of Committee Second House
2026-01-21 House
LocalCertificationResolutionAdopted (Yeas 50, Nays 0)
2026-01-21 House
Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 92 (Yeas 65, Nays 0)
2026-01-21 House
Third Reading in House of Origin (Yeas 67, Nays 0)
2026-01-21 Senate
Pending Committee Action in Second House
2026-01-21 Senate
Read for the first time and referred to the Senate Committee on Local Legislation
2026-01-20 House
Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar
2026-01-20 House
Reported Out of Committee House of Origin
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 Local Legislation

Official Summary Text

This act proposes an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 2022, relating to Escambia County, to authorize the district court to hold court in the county courthouse for cases arising under ordinances of a municipality with no municipal courthouse.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB191 ENROLLED
Page 0
HB191
5V1IA3M-2
By Representative Baker (Constitutional Amendment)
RFD: Local Legislation
First Read: 13-Jan-26
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HB191 Enrolled
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First Read: 13-Jan-26
Enrolled, An Act,
To propose an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama
of 2022, relating to Escambia County, to further provide for
where the district court may hold court in certain cases.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
Section 1. The following amendment to the Constitution
of Alabama of 2022, is proposed:
PROPOSED AMENDMENT
In Escambia County, the district court may hold court
in the county courthouse for cases arising under the
ordinances of any municipality in the county in which there is
no municipal court.
Upon ratification of this constitutional amendment, the
Code Commissioner shall number and place this amendment as
appropriate in the constitution omitting this instructional
paragraph and may make the following nonsubstantive revisions:
change capitalization, hierarchy, spelling, and punctuation
for purposes of style and uniformity; correct manifest
grammatical, clerical, and typographical errors; revise
internal or external citations and cross-references; harmonize
language; and translate effective dates.
END PROPOSED AMENDMENT
Section 2. An election upon the proposed amendment
shall be held in accordance with Sections 284, 284.01, and 285
of the Constitution of Alabama of 2022, and the election laws
of this state. The appropriate election official shall assign
a ballot number for the proposed constitutional amendment on
the election ballot and shall set forth the following
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HB191 Enrolled
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the election ballot and shall set forth the following
description of the substance or subject matter of the proposed
constitutional amendment:
"Relating to Escambia County, proposing an amendment to
the Constitution of Alabama of 2022, to further provide for
where the district court may hold court in certain cases.
Proposed by Act ____."
This description shall be followed by the following
language:
"Yes( ) No( )."
Section 3. The proposed amendment shall become valid as
part of the Constitution of Alabama of 2022, when approved by
a majority of the qualified electors voting thereon.
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a majority of the qualified electors voting thereon.
________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Representatives
________________________________________________
President and Presiding Officer of the Senate
House of Representatives
I hereby certify that the within Act originated in and
was passed by the House 21-Jan-26.
John Treadwell
Clerk
Senate 12-Feb-26 Passed
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