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HB41 • 2026

Crimes and offenses; rape in the first degree, sodomy in the first degree, and sexual torture, penalties further provided for

Crimes and offenses; rape in the first degree, sodomy in the first degree, and sexual torture, penalties further provided for

Children Crime
Enacted

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

Sponsor
Simpson
Last action
2026-02-12
Official status
Enacted
Effective date
2026-10-01

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide information on the effectiveness of the act in deterring crimes, leaving this claim unsupported and removed.

Child Predator Death Penalty Act

This act makes rape, sodomy, and sexual torture against victims under the age of 12 capital offenses and requires a minimum of 30 years before parole eligibility for those convicted.

What This Bill Does

  • Makes rape in the first degree, sodomy in the first degree, and sexual torture capital offenses if the victim is less than 12 years old.
  • Requires individuals convicted of these crimes to serve at least 30 years in prison before being eligible for parole.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who commit rape, sodomy, or sexual torture against victims under the age of 12 will face severe legal consequences.
  • The justice system and law enforcement agencies in Alabama will be impacted by changes to sentencing guidelines.

Terms To Know

Capital offense
A crime that can result in a death sentence if convicted.
Parole
The early release of a prisoner before the end of their sentence, subject to certain conditions.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Does not specify how these changes will be enforced or monitored by law enforcement.
  • Does not address potential challenges in proving intent or circumstances for crimes involving victims under 12 years old.

Amendments

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

BYRE2J4-1

R 164 • Simpson

Adopted

Plain English: BYRE2J4-1 : 1/27/2026 : JC 1ST TILLMAN AMENDMENT TO HB41 OFFERED BY REPRESENTATIVE TILLMAN Page 1 Replace lines 160 through 163 on page 6 with the following: (a)(3) shall be life imprisonment without the possibility of parole ." Replace lines 175 through 178 on page 7 with the following: (a)(3) shall be life imprisonment without the possibility of parole ." Replace lines 203 through 206 on page 8 with the following: (a)(3) shall be life imprisonment without the possibility of parole ." 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

  • BYRE2J4-1 : 1/27/2026 : JC 1ST TILLMAN AMENDMENT TO HB41 OFFERED BY REPRESENTATIVE TILLMAN Page 1 Replace lines 160 through 163 on page 6 with the following: (a)(3) shall be life imprisonment without the possibility of parole ." Replace lines 175 through 178 on page 7 with the following: (a)(3) shall be life imprisonment without the possibility of parole ." Replace lines 203 through 206 on page 8 with the following: (a)(3) shall be life imprisonment without the possibility of parole ." 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
  • This amendment summary is using official source text because generated interpretation was skipped for this run.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-12 House

    Enacted

  2. 2026-02-05 Senate

    Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 246 (Yeas 33, Nays 1)

  3. 2026-02-05 Senate

    Third Reading in Second House (Yeas 35, Nays 0)

  4. 2026-02-05 Senate

    Signature Requested

  5. 2026-02-05 House

    Delivered to Governor

  6. 2026-02-05 House

    Enrolled

  7. 2026-02-05 House

    Ready to Enroll

  8. 2026-02-03 Senate

    Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar

  9. 2026-02-03 Senate

    Reported Out of Committee Second House

  10. 2026-01-27 House

    Motion to Add Cosponsor - Adopted Roll Call 166 (Yeas 51, Nays 0)

  11. 2026-01-27 House

    Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 165 (Yeas 73, Nays 6)

  12. 2026-01-27 House

    Simpson motion to Table - Adopted Roll Call 164 (Yeas 75, Nays 26)

  13. 2026-01-27 House

    Third Reading in House of Origin (Yeas 77, Nays 10)

  14. 2026-01-27 Senate

    Pending Committee Action in Second House

  15. 2026-01-27 Senate

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

  16. 2026-01-27 House

    Tillman 1st Amendment Offered

  17. 2026-01-14 House

    Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar

  18. 2026-01-14 House

    Reported Out of Committee House of Origin

  19. 2026-01-13 House

    Pending Committee Action in House of Origin

  20. 2026-01-13 House

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

Official Summary Text

This act is the Child Predator Death Penalty Act. This act amends Sections 13A-5-40, 13A-6-61, 13A-6-63, and 13A-6-65.1, Code of Alabama 1975, to: (1) provide rape in the first degree, sodomy in the first degree, and sexual torture are capital offenses when the victim is less than 12 years of age; and (2) require individuals convicted of these crimes to serve a minimum of 30 years in prison prior to being considered for parole.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
HB41 ENROLLED
Page 0
HB41
V7WD4PP-2
By Representatives Simpson, Ledbetter, Whitt, Garrett, Lee,
Marques, Reynolds, Blackshear, Hulsey, Hammett, Lovvorn,
Underwood, Crawford, Paramore, Easterbrook, Brinyark,
Yarbrough, Shaver, DuBose, Ingram, Lamb, Carns, Stringer,
Treadaway, Bedsole, Butler, Wilcox, Oliver, Ross, Mooney,
Sells, Robertson, Shirey, Bolton, Givens, Colvin, Standridge,
Wood (R), Kiel, Stubbs, Paschal, Brown, Robbins, Stadthagen,
Estes, Rigsby, Shaw, Hurst, Starnes, Holk-Jones, Kirkland,
Gidley
RFD: Judiciary
First Read: 13-Jan-26
PFD: 28-Aug-25
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PFD: 28-Aug-25
Enrolled, An Act,
Relating to crimes and offenses; to amend Sections
13A-5-40, 13A-6-61, 13A-6-63, and 13A-6-65.1, Code of Alabama
1975; to revise the criminal penalties for violations of rape
in the first degree, sodomy in the first degree, and sexual
torture when the victim is less than 12 years of age.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as
the "Child Predator Death Penalty Act."
Section 2. Sections 13A-5-40, 13A-6-61, 13A-6-63, and
13A-6-65.1, Code of Alabama 1975, are amended to read as
follows:
"§13A-5-40
(a) The following are capital offenses:
(1) Murder by the defendant during a kidnapping in the
first degree or an attempt thereof committed by the defendant.
(2) Murder by the defendant during a robbery in the
first degree or an attempt thereof committed by the defendant.
(3) Murder by the defendant during a rape in the first
or second degree or an attempt thereof committed by the
defendant; or murder by the defendant during sodomy in the
first or second degree or an attempt thereof committed by the
defendant.
(4) Murder by the defendant during a burglary in the
first or second degree or an attempt thereof committed by the
defendant.
(5) Murder of any police officer, sheriff, deputy,
state trooper, federal law enforcement officer, or any other
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state trooper, federal law enforcement officer, or any other
state or federal peace officer of any kind, or prison or jail
guard, while the officer or guard is on duty, regardless of
whether the defendant knew or should have known the victim was
an officer or guard on duty, or because of some official or
job-related act or performance of the officer or guard.
(6) Murder committed while the defendant is under
sentence of life imprisonment.
(7) Murder done for a pecuniary or other valuable
consideration or pursuant to a contract or for hire.
(8) Murder by the defendant during sexual abuse in the
first or second degree or an attempt thereof committed by the
defendant.
(9) Murder by the defendant during arson in the first
or second degree committed by the defendant; or murder by the
defendant by means of explosives or explosion.
(10) Murder wherein two or more persons are murdered by
the defendant by one act or pursuant to one scheme or course
of conduct.
(11) Murder by the defendant when the victim is a state
or federal public official or former public official and the
murder stems from or, is caused by , or is related to his or
her official position, act, or capacity.
(12) Murder by the defendant during the act of
unlawfully assuming control of any aircraft by use of threats
or force with intent to obtain any valuable consideration for
the release of the aircraft or any passenger or crewmen
crewmember thereon, to direct the route or movement of the
aircraft, or otherwise exert control over the aircraft.
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aircraft, or otherwise exert control over the aircraft.
(13) Murder by a defendant who has been convicted of
any other murder in the 20 years preceding the crime;
provided , that the murder which that constitutes the capital
crime shall be murder as defined in subsection (b); and
provided further that the prior murder conviction referred to
shall include murder in any degree as defined at the time and
place of the prior conviction.
(14) Murder when the victim is subpoenaed, or has been
subpoenaed, to testify, or the victim had testified, in any
preliminary hearing, grand jury proceeding, criminal trial or
criminal proceeding of whatever nature, or civil trial or
civil proceeding of whatever nature, in any municipal, state,
or federal court, when the murder stems from, is caused by, or
is related to the capacity or role of the victim as a witness.
(15) Murder when the victim is less than fourteen 14
years of age.
(16) Murder committed by or through the use of a deadly
weapon fired or otherwise used from outside a dwelling while
the victim is in a dwelling.
(17) Murder committed by or through the use of a deadly
weapon while the victim is in a vehicle.
(18) Murder committed by or through the use of a deadly
weapon fired or otherwise used within or from a vehicle.
(19) Murder by the defendant where a court had issued a
protective order for the victim, against the defendant,
pursuant to Section 30-5-1 et seq. Chapter 5 of Title 30 , or
the protective order was issued as a condition of the
defendant's pretrial release.
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defendant's pretrial release.
(20) Murder by the defendant in the presence of a child
under the age of 14 years of age at the time of the offense,
if the victim was the parent or legal guardian of the child.
For purposes of this subsection, "in the presence of a child"
means in the physical presence of a child or having knowledge
that a child is present and may see or hear the act.
(21) Murder when the victim is a first responder who is
operating in an official capacity. For the purposes of this
subdivision, "first responder " includes emergency medical
services personnel licensed by the Alabama Department of
Public Health and firefighters and volunteer firefighters as
defined by Section 36-32-1.
(22) Rape in the first degree when the victim is less
than 12 years of age.
(23) Sodomy in the first degree when the victim is less
than 12 years of age.
(24) Sexual torture when the victim is less than 12
years of age.
(b) Except as specifically provided to the contrary in
the last part of subdivision (a)(13), the terms "murder" and
"murder by the defendant" as used in this section to define
capital offenses mean murder as defined in Section
13A-6-2(a)(1), but not as defined in Section 13A-6-2(a)(2) and
(3). Subject to the provisions of Section 13A-5-41, murder as
defined in Section 13A-6-2(a)(2) and (3), as well as murder as
defined in Section 13A-6-2(a)(1), may be a lesser included
offense of the capital offenses defined in subsection (a).
(c) A defendant who does not personally commit the act
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(c) A defendant who does not personally commit the act
of killing which constitutes the murder is not guilty of a
capital offense defined in subsection (a) unless that
defendant is legally accountable for the murder because of
complicity in the murder itself under the provisions of
Section 13A-2-23, in addition to being guilty of the other
elements of the capital offense as defined in subsection (a).
(d) To the extent that a crime other than murder is an
element of a capital offense defined in subsection (a), a
defendant's guilt of that other crime may also be established
under Section 13A-2-23. When the defendant's guilt of that
other crime is established under Section 13A-2-23, that crime
shall be deemed to have been "committed by the defendant"
within the meaning of that phrase as it is used in subsection
(a)."
"§13A-6-61
(a) A person commits the crime of rape in the first
degree if he or she does any of the following:
(1) Engages in sexual intercourse with another person
by forcible compulsion.
(2) Engages in sexual intercourse with another person
who is incapable of consent by reason of being incapacitated.
(3) Being 16 years old of age or older, engages in
sexual intercourse with another person who is less than 12
years oldof age .
(b) Rape in the first degree is a Class A felony ;
provided, that the punishment for a violation of subdivision
(a)(3) shall be as determined and fixed as provided in Article
2 of Chapter 5 . Any defendant sentenced to life imprisonment
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2 of Chapter 5 . Any defendant sentenced to life imprisonment
on a capital offense must serve a minimum of 30 years, day for
day, prior to his or her first consideration of parole. "
"§13A-6-63
(a) A person commits the crime of sodomy in the first
degree if he or she does any of the following:
(1) Engages in sodomy with another person by forcible
compulsion.
(2) Engages in sodomy with another person who is
incapable of consent by reason of being incapacitated.
(3) Being 16 years old of age or older, engages in
sodomy with a person who is less than 12 years oldof age .
(b) Sodomy in the first degree is a Class A felony ;
provided, that the punishment for a violation of subdivision
(a)(3) shall be as determined and fixed as provided in Article
2 of Chapter 5 . Any defendant sentenced to life imprisonment
on a capital offense must serve a minimum of 30 years, day for
day, prior to his or her first consideration of parole. "
"§13A-6-65.1
(a) A person commits the crime of sexual torture if he
or she does any of the following:
(1) Penetrates the vagina, anus, or mouth of another
person with an inanimate object, by forcible compulsion, with
the intent to sexually torture, sexually abuse, or to gratify
the sexual desire of either party.
(2) Penetrates the vagina, anus, or mouth of a person
who is incapable of consent by reason of being incapacitated,
with an inanimate object, with the intent to sexually torture,
sexually abuse, or to gratify the sexual desire of either
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sexually abuse, or to gratify the sexual desire of either
party.
(3) Penetrates the vagina, anus, or mouth of a person
who is less than 12 years oldof age , with an inanimate object,
by a person who is 16 years old of age or older with the
intent to sexually torture, sexually abuse, or to gratify the
sexual desire of either party.
(4) By inflicting physical injury, including, but not
limited to, burning, crushing, wounding, mutilating, or
assaulting the sex organs or intimate parts of another person,
with the intent to sexually torture, sexually abuse, or to
gratify the sexual desire of either party.
(b) The crime of sexual torture is a Class A felony ;
provided, that the punishment for a violation of subdivision
(a)(3) shall be as determined and fixed as provided in Article
2 of Chapter 5 . Any defendant sentenced to life imprisonment
on a capital offense must serve a minimum of 30 years, day for
day, prior to his or her first consideration of parole. "
Section 3. This act shall become effective on October
1, 2026.
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1, 2026.
________________________________________________
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 27-Jan-26.
John Treadwell
Clerk
Senate 05-Feb-26 Passed
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