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HB4 • 2026

Taxation; establishes Alabama Broadband Investment Maximization Act; exempts ADECA project funded or administered purchases from sales and use tax

Taxation; establishes Alabama Broadband Investment Maximization Act; exempts ADECA project funded or administered purchases from sales and use tax

Taxes
Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
Kiel
Last action
2026-02-25
Official status
Pending Committee Action in Second House
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official text states the act becomes effective on June 1, 2026, but the tax exemption period begins later on September 1, 2026.

Alabama Broadband Investment Maximization Act

This law removes state sales and use taxes on specific broadband equipment with a useful life of at least ten years when purchased for projects funded or managed by the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs.

What This Bill Does

  • Creates a new law called the Alabama Broadband Investment Maximization Act.
  • Removes state sales and use taxes on purchases of broadband equipment, machinery, software, and infrastructure with a useful life of at least ten years used to provide internet access or broadband services.
  • Limits this tax break only to purchases made under projects funded or administered by the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA).
  • Allows counties and cities to choose whether to remove their own local sales taxes on these same items.
  • Sets the time period for this exemption from September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2029.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Businesses or groups buying broadband equipment and supplies for ADECA projects
  • The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA)
  • Local county and city governments that may choose to offer similar tax breaks

Terms To Know

Broadband communications services
Telecommunication, mobile telecommunication, video programming, or direct-to-home satellite television programming services.
Equipment
Items such as wires, cables, fiber optics, antennas, poles, routers, switches, power systems, and other infrastructure used to provide internet access or broadband services that have a useful life of at least ten years.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The tax break does not apply to the retail sale of personal consumer electronics like smartphones, computers, tablets, computer-grade modems, and WiFi routers.
  • Local governments are allowed but not required to remove their own sales taxes on these purchases.
  • This law only applies for a specific three-year period ending in 2029.

Amendments

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

KH7JRA5-1

R 558

Adopted

Plain English: This amendment creates a new law that removes state sales tax on specific broadband equipment used in projects managed by the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs.

  • It exempts purchases of long-lasting infrastructure like wires, cables, antennas, and routers from state sales and use taxes if they are part of an ADECA project.
  • The tax break only applies to equipment used to provide broadband services or Internet access that has a useful life of at least ten years.
  • Local counties and cities can choose to also remove their own sales taxes on these same qualifying purchases.
  • This exemption does not apply to personal consumer electronics like smartphones, computers, tablets, or home WiFi routers sold for individual use.
  • The tax break is only available for a limited time between September 1, 2026, and August 31, 2029.
EJW4W9C-1

R 559 • Kiel

Adopted

Plain English: This amendment sets a specific time period for the tax break and adds rules to collect taxes back if broadband projects are not finished on time.

  • The tax exemption is only available from September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2029.
  • If a company uses this tax break but does not finish its project by the deadline set by state officials, it must pay back all the taxes that were saved.
  • The rule to pay back taxes will not apply if the delay was caused by unexpected or serious problems beyond the company's control.
  • Any money collected from these unpaid taxes will be given to local utility groups to help expand internet services.
  • The amendment does not explain what specific situations count as 'extenuating circumstances' that would excuse a delay.
  • It is unclear exactly how the state department determines the required time period for each project before this deadline applies.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-25 Senate

    Pending Committee Action in Second House

  2. 2026-02-25 Senate

    Read for the first time and referred to the Senate Committee on Finance and Taxation Education

  3. 2026-02-24 House

    Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 560 (Yeas 103, Nays 0)

  4. 2026-02-24 House

    Kiel motion to Table - Adopted Roll Call 559 (Yeas 62, Nays 28)

  5. 2026-02-24 House

    Motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 558 (Yeas 104, Nays 0)

  6. 2026-02-24 House

    Third Reading in House of Origin (Yeas 104, Nays 0)

  7. 2026-02-24 House

    Engrossed

  8. 2026-02-24 House

    Robbins 1st Amendment Offered

  9. 2026-02-24 House

    Ways and Means Education 1st Substitute Offered

  10. 2026-02-05 House

    Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar

  11. 2026-02-04 House

    Reported Out of Committee House of Origin

  12. 2026-02-04 House

    Ways and Means Education 1st Substitute

  13. 2026-01-13 House

    Pending Committee Action in House of Origin

  14. 2026-01-13 House

    Read for the first time and referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means Education

Official Summary Text

Taxation; establishes Alabama Broadband Investment Maximization Act; exempts ADECA project funded or administered purchases from sales and use tax

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
HB4 ENGROSSED
Page 0
HB4
KH7JRA5-2
By Representatives Kiel, Brinyark, Faulkner, Kirkland, Rigsby,
Lomax, Colvin, Stubbs
RFD: Ways and Means Education
First Read: 13-Jan-26
PFD: 25-Jun-25
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HB4 Engrossed
Page 1
PFD: 25-Jun-25
A BILL
TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
Relating to taxation; to establish the Alabama
Broadband Investment Maximization Act; to exempt purchases of
broadband equipment and supplies from projects funded or
administered by the Alabama Department of Economic and
Community Affairs from sales and use tax.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
Section 1. This act shall be known and be cited as the
Alabama Broadband Investment Maximization Act.
Section 2. (a) The gross receipts derived from the sale
of equipment, machinery, software, ancillary components,
appurtenances, accessories, or other infrastructure, with a
useful life of at least ten years, that is used in whole or in
part to: (i) produce broadband communications services,
including broadcasting, distributing, sending, receiving,
storing, transmitting, retransmitting, amplifying, switching,
providing connectivity for, or routing communications
services; or (ii) provide Internet access are exempt from the
state sales and use taxes provided for in Sections 40-23-2 and
40-23-61, Code of Alabama 1975.
(b) The exemption provided by this section shall only
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HB4 Engrossed
Page 2
(b) The exemption provided by this section shall only
apply to purchases made pursuant to a project funded or
administered by the Alabama Department of Economic and
Community Affairs.
(c) The Department of Revenue may adopt rules to
implement and administer this section.
(d) This section does not apply to the retail sale of
personal consumer electronics, including, but not limited to,
smartphones, computers and tablets, and computer-grade modems
and WiFi routers.
(e) For the purpose of this section, the following
terms and phrases have the following meanings:
(1) BROADBAND COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES.
Telecommunication services, mobile telecommunication services,
video programming services, or direct-to-home satellite
television programming services.
(2) EQUIPMENT. Includes, but is not limited to, wires,
cables, fiber, conduits, antennas, poles, switches, routers,
amplifiers, rectifiers, repeaters, receivers, multiplexers,
duplexers, transmitters, circuit cards, insulating and
protective materials and cases, power equipment, backup power
equipment, diagnostic equipment, storage devices, modems, and
other general central office or headend equipment, such as
channel cards, frames, and cabinets, or equipment used in
successor technologies, including items used to monitor, test,
maintain, enable, or facilitate qualifying equipment,
machinery, software, ancillary components, appurtenances,
accessories, or other infrastructure that is used in whole or
in part to provide broadband communications services or
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HB4 Engrossed
Page 3
in part to provide broadband communications services or
Internet access. In order to qualify for the exemption,
equipment must have a useful life of at least ten years.
(3) INTERNET ACCESS. A service that enables users to
connect to the Internet to access content, information, or
other services offered over the Internet, including:
a. The purchase, use, or sale of telecommunications by
a provider of Internet access to the extent the
telecommunications are purchased, used, or sold to provide the
Internet access service or otherwise enable users to access
content, information, or other services offered over the
Internet;
b. Services that are incidental to the provision of
Internet access when furnished to users as part of the
Internet access service, such as a homepage, email, and
instant messaging, to include voice-capable and video-capable
email and instant messaging, video clips, and personal
electronic storage capacity;
c. A homepage, email, and instant messaging, to include
voice-capable and video-capable email and instant messaging,
video clips, and personal electronic storage capacity, that
are provided independently or packaged with Internet access;
and
d. Does not include voice, audio, or video programming,
or other products and services that utilize Internet protocol
or a successor protocol and for which there is a charge,
regardless of whether the charge is separately stated or
aggregated with the charge for services for Internet access.
(f) Any county or municipality may exempt the gross
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HB4 Engrossed
Page 4
(f) Any county or municipality may exempt the gross
proceeds from the sale of broadband equipment and supplies
provided pursuant to this section from county or municipal
sales and use taxes in accordance with Section 40-23-4.01,
Code of Alabama 1975.
(g) The exemption provided pursuant to this section
shall be available from September 1, 2026, to August 31, 2029.
Section 3. This act shall become effective on June 1,
2026.
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HB4 Engrossed
Page 5
2026.
House of Representatives
Read for the first time and referred
to the House of Representatives
committee on Ways and Means
Education
................13-Jan-26
Read for the second time and placed
on the calendar:
0 amendments
................05-Feb-26
Read for the third time and passed
as amended
Yeas 103
Nays 0
Abstains 0
................24-Feb-26
John Treadwell
Clerk
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