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HB37 • 2026

Crimes and offenses; penalties for eluding or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer, penalties further provided

Crimes and offenses; penalties for eluding or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer, penalties further provided

Children Crime
Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
Ingram
Last action
2026-03-03
Official status
Read Second Time in Second House
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and digest do not provide specific details about enforcement mechanisms or resource allocation for law enforcement agencies.

Penalties for Eluding Law Enforcement Officers

This bill changes the penalties for fleeing or attempting to flee from a law enforcement officer, making it a felony under certain conditions and requiring minimum jail time for repeat offenders.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the penalty for eluding a police officer from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class D felony.
  • Increases the penalty to a Class C felony if the flight causes injury or involves crossing state lines, includes endangering an officer or involving a child under 14 years old in the vehicle.
  • Makes it a Class B felony if serious injuries occur, the speed limit is exceeded by 20 mph, or the officer is endangered.
  • Requires jail time for repeat offenders: at least 90 days for second offenses and 180 days for third or subsequent offenses within ten years.
  • Specifies that driving below the speed limit with flashers on does not violate this law.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who flee from police officers
  • Law enforcement agencies

Terms To Know

Felony
A serious crime that can result in a prison sentence of more than one year.
Misdemeanor
A less serious crime that usually results in a fine or up to one year in jail.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify the exact penalties for first-time offenders.
  • It is unclear how this law will be enforced and what resources will be provided to law enforcement agencies.

Amendments

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

9J5LLMM-1

R 259

Adopted

Plain English: 9J5LLMM-1 01/23/2026 THR (L)THR 2025-2459 SUB HB37 JUDICIARY SUBSTITUTE TO HB37 OFFERED BY REPRESENTATIVE FAULKNER Page 1 SYNOPSIS: Under existing law, eluding or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer is a Class A misdemeanor, Class C felony, or Class B felony based on the circumstances of the offense.

  • 9J5LLMM-1 01/23/2026 THR (L)THR 2025-2459 SUB HB37 JUDICIARY SUBSTITUTE TO HB37 OFFERED BY REPRESENTATIVE FAULKNER Page 1 SYNOPSIS: Under existing law, eluding or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer is a Class A misdemeanor, Class C felony, or Class B felony based on the circumstances of the offense.
  • This bill would provide that eluding or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer is a Class D felony.
  • This bill would provide that eluding or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer is also a Class C felony if, during the flight or attempt to elude, any of the following conditions exist: (i) a child under 14 years of age is present in the vehicle; (ii) the flight or attempt to elude occurs while the offender is released on bail, probation, or parole, or while the offender is serving a sentence in a community corrections or work release program; or (iii) the offender has previously been convicted of eluding or attempting to elude.
  • This bill would provide that eluding or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer is a Class B felony if, during the flight or attempt to elude, either of the following conditions exist: (i) the offender strikes or attempts to strike a law enforcement officer or a vehicle occupied by a law 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Page 2 enforcement officer or a vehicle occupied by a law enforcement officer; or (ii) the offender has two or more previous convictions for eluding or attempting to elude.
  • This amendment summary is using official source text because generated interpretation was skipped for this run.
XD12AEZ-1

Judiciary

Judiciary 1st Substitute

Plain English: XD12AEZ-1 03/02/2026 THR (L) THR 2025-2459 SUB HB37 JUDICIARY SUBSTITUTE TO HB37 OFFERED BY SENATOR BELL Page 1 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT Relating to crimes and offenses; to amend Section 13A-10-52, Code of Alabama 1975; to include various conditions under which the crime of eluding or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer is subject to heightened criminal penalties; and to provide certain mandatory minimum penalties for multiple convictions of eluding or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer.

  • XD12AEZ-1 03/02/2026 THR (L) THR 2025-2459 SUB HB37 JUDICIARY SUBSTITUTE TO HB37 OFFERED BY SENATOR BELL Page 1 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT Relating to crimes and offenses; to amend Section 13A-10-52, Code of Alabama 1975; to include various conditions under which the crime of eluding or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer is subject to heightened criminal penalties; and to provide certain mandatory minimum penalties for multiple convictions of eluding or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer.
  • BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA: Section 1.
  • Section 13A-10-52, Code of Alabama 1975, is amended to read as follows: "§13A-10-52 (a) It shall be unlawful for a person to intentionally flee by any means from anyone the person knows to be a law enforcement officer if the person knows the officer is attempting to arrest the person.
  • (b) It shall be unlawful for a person , while operating a motor vehicle on a street, road, alley, or highway in this state, to intentionally flee or attempt to elude a law enforcement officer after having received a signal from the officer to bring the vehicle to a stop.
  • This amendment summary is using official source text because generated interpretation was skipped for this run.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-03 Senate

    Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar

  2. 2026-03-03 Senate

    Reported Out of Committee Second House

  3. 2026-03-03 Senate

    Judiciary 1st Substitute

  4. 2026-02-05 Senate

    Pending Committee Action in Second House

  5. 2026-02-05 Senate

    Read for the first time and referred to the Senate Committee on Judiciary

  6. 2026-02-03 House

    Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 260 (Yeas 103, Nays 0)

  7. 2026-02-03 House

    Motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 259 (Yeas 102, Nays 0)

  8. 2026-02-03 House

    Third Reading in House of Origin (Yeas 102, Nays 0)

  9. 2026-02-03 House

    Engrossed

  10. 2026-02-03 House

    Judiciary 1st Substitute Offered

  11. 2026-01-29 House

    Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar

  12. 2026-01-28 House

    Reported Out of Committee House of Origin

  13. 2026-01-28 House

    Judiciary 1st Substitute

  14. 2026-01-13 House

    Pending Committee Action in House of Origin

  15. 2026-01-13 House

    Read for the first time and referred to the House Committee on Judiciary

Official Summary Text

Crimes and offenses; penalties for eluding or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer, penalties further provided

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
HB37 ENGROSSED
Page 0
HB37
9J5LLMM-2
By Representative Ingram
RFD: Judiciary
First Read: 13-Jan-26
PFD: 14-Aug-25
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HB37 Engrossed
Page 1
PFD: 14-Aug-25
A BILL
TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
Relating to crimes and offenses; to amend Section
13A-10-52, Code of Alabama 1975; to include various conditions
under which the crime of eluding or attempting to elude a law
enforcement officer is subject to heightened criminal
penalties; and to provide certain mandatory minimum penalties
for multiple convictions of eluding or attempting to elude a
law enforcement officer.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
Section 1. Section 13A-10-52, Code of Alabama 1975, is
amended to read as follows:
"§13A-10-52
(a) It shall be unlawful for a person to intentionally
flee by any means from anyone the person knows to be a law
enforcement officer if the person knows the officer is
attempting to arrest the person.
(b) It shall be unlawful for a person , while operating
a motor vehicle on a street, road, alley, or highway in this
state, to intentionally flee or attempt to elude a law
enforcement officer after having received a signal from the
officer to bring the vehicle to a stop.
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HB37 Engrossed
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officer to bring the vehicle to a stop.
(c)(1) A violation of subsection (a) or (b) is a Class
A misdemeanor Class D felony .
(2) A violation of subsection (a) or (b) is a Class C
felony if any of the following occur:
a. The flight or attempt to elude causes the offender
to strike or collide with another vehicle or pedestrian.
b. The flight or attempt to elude causes physical
injury to any other person.
c. The flight or attempt to elude results in the
offender crossing the lines of this state into a neighboring
state.
d. During the flight or attempt to elude, a child under
14 years of age is present in the vehicle.
e. The flight or attempt to elude occurs while the
offender is released on bail, probation, or parole, or while
the offender is serving a sentence in a community corrections
or work release program.
f. At the time of the offense, the offender has a
previous conviction for a violation of subsection (a) or (b).
(3) A violation of subsection (a) or (b) is a Class B
felony if either any of the following occur:
a. The flight or attempt to elude causes serious
physical injury or death to any other person.
b. During the flight or attempt to elude , the person
exceeds 20 miles per hour over the legal maximum speed limit.
c. During the flight or attempt to elude, the offender
strikes or attempts to strike a law enforcement officer or a
vehicle occupied by a law enforcement officer.
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HB37 Engrossed
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vehicle occupied by a law enforcement officer.
d. At the time of the offense, the offender has two or
more previous convictions for a violation of subsection (a) or
(b).
(d)(1) Upon conviction for a violation of subsection
(a) or (b), the court shall order the suspension of the driver
license of the defendant for a period of not less than six
months nor more than two years.
(2) Upon a second conviction for a violation of
subsection (a) or (b) within a 10-year period of time, as
measured from the dates of previous arrests for which
convictions were obtained to the date of the current arrest
for which a conviction is obtained, the court shall sentence
the defendant to a minimum of 90 days confinement.
(3) Upon a third or subsequent conviction for a
violation of subsection (a) or (b) within a 10-year period of
time, as measured from the dates of previous arrests for which
convictions were obtained to the date of the current arrest
for which a conviction is obtained, the court shall sentence
the defendant to a minimum of 180 days confinement.
(e) It is not a violation of this section for an
individual to continue traveling at or below the speed limit,
with or without the vehicle's flashers turned on, with the
intent of stopping the vehicle at the nearest safe place.
(f) If an individual charged with a violation of this
section is arrested by a municipal law enforcement agency and
detained in the county jail, the arresting municipality shall
reimburse the county commission for any medical costs
associated with the individual's detention. "
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HB37 Engrossed
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associated with the individual's detention. "
Section 2. This act shall become effective on October
1, 2026.
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HB37 Engrossed
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1, 2026.
House of Representatives
Read for the first time and referred
to the House of Representatives
committee on Judiciary
................13-Jan-26
Read for the second time and placed
on the calendar:
0 amendments
................29-Jan-26
Read for the third time and passed
as amended
Yeas 103
Nays 0
Abstains 1
................03-Feb-26
John Treadwell
Clerk
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