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HB421 • 2026

Lawrence County; senior property tax exemption authorized; constitutional amendment

Lawrence County; senior property tax exemption authorized; constitutional amendment

Elections Taxes
Enacted

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

Sponsor
Yarbrough
Last action
2026-02-24
Official status
Enacted
Effective date
Effective

Plain English Breakdown

The bill is enacted by the Legislature but only becomes law after voters approve it in an election.

Lawrence County Senior Property Tax Exemption

This bill proposes a change to the Alabama Constitution that would let homeowners aged 65 and older in Lawrence County freeze their property tax value starting October 1, 2027.

What This Bill Does

  • Allows residents of Lawrence County who are 65 or older to claim a senior property tax exemption on single-family homes they own and live in as their main residence.
  • Freezes the assessed value of the home at the level from the year before the owner claims the exemption, so taxes do not rise due to increased property values for that part of the home.
  • Requires owners to have lived in the home as their main residence for at least five years right before claiming the tax break.
  • Lets homeowners keep other existing exemptions while using this new senior exemption.
  • States that any additions built on the house after claiming the exemption will be taxed based on the value of those new parts.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Homeowners in Lawrence County who are at least 65 years old and have lived in their home for five years.
  • The Lawrence County Revenue Commissioner, who must receive written claims for this exemption between October 1 and December 31.

Terms To Know

Assessed value
The dollar amount assigned to a property by officials for calculating how much tax is owed.
Constitutional amendment
A formal change or addition to the state's Constitution that requires voter approval.
Ad valorem tax
A property tax based on the value of the land and buildings owned by a person.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The exemption only applies to single-family homes used as the owner's main residence.
  • This change does not take effect unless voters approve it in an election after this bill passes the Legislature.
  • Homeowners must submit a written claim within specific dates each year; missing these deadlines may prevent them from getting the tax break.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-24 Senate

    Chambliss Local Certification Resolution - Adopted Roll Call 539 (Yeas 31, Nays 0)

  2. 2026-02-24 Senate

    Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 538 (Yeas 31, Nays 0)

  3. 2026-02-24 Senate

    Third Reading in Second House (Yeas 31, Nays 0)

  4. 2026-02-24 House

    Enacted

  5. 2026-02-24 House

    Delivered to Governor

  6. 2026-02-24 House

    Sent to Secretary of State

  7. 2026-02-24 House

    Delivered to Governor

  8. 2026-02-24 Senate

    Signature Requested

  9. 2026-02-24 House

    Enrolled

  10. 2026-02-24 House

    Ready to Enroll

  11. 2026-02-19 Senate

    Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar

  12. 2026-02-19 Senate

    Reported Out of Committee Second House

  13. 2026-02-17 House

    LocalCertificationResolutionAdopted (Yeas 24, Nays 0)

  14. 2026-02-17 House

    Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 435 (Yeas 67, Nays 0)

  15. 2026-02-17 House

    Third Reading in House of Origin (Yeas 58, Nays 0)

  16. 2026-02-17 Senate

    Pending Committee Action in Second House

  17. 2026-02-17 Senate

    Read for the first time and referred to the Senate Committee on Local Legislation

  18. 2026-02-12 House

    Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar

  19. 2026-02-12 House

    Reported Out of Committee House of Origin

  20. 2026-02-10 House

    Pending Committee Action in House of Origin

  21. 2026-02-10 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 Lawrence County, to authorize qualified taxpayers 65 years of age or older to claim a senior property tax exemption for single-family owner-occupied residential property beginning October 1, 2027, subject to certain conditions.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
HB421 ENROLLED
Page 0
HB421
HG5EF33-2
By Representative Yarbrough (Constitutional Amendment)
RFD: Local Legislation
First Read: 10-Feb-26
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HB421 Enrolled
Page 1
First Read: 10-Feb-26
Enrolled, An Act,
To propose an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama
of 2022, relating to Lawrence County, to authorize a qualified
taxpayer 65 years of age or older to claim a senior property
tax exemption for real property owned in the county under
certain conditions.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
Section 1. The following amendment to the Constitution
of Alabama of 2022, is proposed:
PROPOSED AMENDMENT
(a) In Lawrence County, an individual 65 years of age
or older may claim a senior property tax exemption for ad
valorem tax purposes on real property located in the county
which is owned by the individual, classified as single-family
owner-occupied residential property, and used as the principal
place of residence of the individual for not less than five
years immediately prior to the tax year for which the
individual first claims the senior property tax exemption. The
senior property tax exemption shall freeze the assessed value
of the property for the year immediately prior to claiming the
exemption.
(b) The following provisions shall apply to the
individual claiming the senior property tax exemption:
(1) The taxpayer shall continue to receive the senior
property tax exemption as long as the taxpayer continues to
use the property as his or her principal place of residence.
(2) The individual shall continue to be eligible to
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HB421 Enrolled
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(2) The individual shall continue to be eligible to
claim a homestead exemption and any other exemption authorized
by law on the property.
(3) The property shall continue to be subject to any
millage rate changes on the property.
(4) The assessed value of any additions to the property
after claiming the senior property tax exemption shall be
added to the assessed value of the property and subject to ad
valorem tax based on the increase in the assessed value of the
addition after the taxpayer claims the senior property tax
exemption.
(5) This exemption may be claimed beginning October 1,
2027.
(6) This exemption must be claimed in writing with the
Lawrence County Revenue Commissioner between October 1 and
December 31.
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
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HB421 Enrolled
Page 3
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
description of the substance or subject matter of the proposed
constitutional amendment:
"Relating to Lawrence County, proposing an amendment to
the Constitution of Alabama of 2022, to authorize a qualified
taxpayer 65 years of age or older to claim a senior property
tax exemption for real property under certain conditions.
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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HB421 Enrolled
Page 4
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 17-Feb-26.
John Treadwell
Clerk
Senate 24-Feb-26 Passed
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