Criminal law; crime scene photos of human remains, prohibitions on transmission or release, provided; penalties for violations, provided

Children Crime

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor: Givan
Last action: 2026-03-05
Official status: Read Second Time in House of Origin
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source confirms all claims in the candidate explanation, including penalties and effective dates.

HB503: Rules for Sharing Photos of Deceased People

This law makes it a crime to share or send photos taken during death investigations unless the sharing is needed for official police work.

What This Bill Does

Prohibits anyone from disclosing, transmitting, or using photos of human remains taken during coroner or law enforcement investigations.
Allows these images to be shared only for official purposes by a coroner or law enforcement agency.
Makes sharing these photos without permission a Class B misdemeanor crime.
Increases the penalty to a Class A misdemeanor if someone shares the photos in exchange for money, goods, or services.

Who It Names or Affects

Any person who possesses or handles images from death investigations
Coroners and law enforcement agencies conducting investigations

Terms To Know

Class B misdemeanor: A minor crime that carries a lighter penalty than more serious offenses.
Class A misdemeanor: A minor crime with a heavier penalty, applied here when someone profits from sharing the photos.

Limits and Unknowns

The law does not take effect until October 1, 2026.
The text does not specify what happens if an image was taken by a private citizen who is not part of the investigation but shares it.

Amendments

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

NR4W6TT-1

Judiciary

Reported Out of Committee House of Origin

Plain English: This amendment makes it illegal to share or send photos of dead bodies taken during official investigations unless there is a legal reason to do so.

It bans sharing, sending, or using any photo of human remains from coroner or police cases for anything other than official work or court orders.
Sharing these images without permission becomes a Class B misdemeanor crime.
Selling or trading these images to make money or gain something else becomes a more serious Class A misdemeanor crime.

The text does not explain exactly what counts as 'authorized by law' for sharing the photos in civil court cases.
It is unclear if this rule applies to people who find these images online but did not take them themselves, since it only mentions taking or transmitting.

Bill History

2026-03-05 House
Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar
2026-03-04 House
Reported Out of Committee House of Origin
2026-02-24 House
Pending Committee Action in House of Origin
2026-02-24 House
Read for the first time and referred to the House Committee on Judiciary

Official Summary Text

Criminal law; crime scene photos of human remains, prohibitions on transmission or release, provided; penalties for violations, provided

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB503 INTRODUCED
Page 0
HB503
MS2SKHW-1
By Representative Givan
RFD: Judiciary
First Read: 24-Feb-26
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MS2SKHW-1 02/18/2026 CMH (L)CMH 2026-921
Page 1
First Read: 24-Feb-26
SYNOPSIS:
This bill would prohibit the disclosure or
transmission of images taken as a part of a death
investigation, except for official law enforcement
purposes.
This bill would provide criminal penalties for a
violation, and would provide a heightened criminal
penalty if the violation was committed for a
consideration or other gain.
A BILL
TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
Relating to crimes; to prohibit the disclosure or
transmission of certain images of deceased individuals taken
as part of a coroner or law enforcement investigation; and to
provide criminal penalties for a violation.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
Section 1. (a) Any photograph or image of a deceased
individual or human remains that is taken as part of a coroner
death investigation or law enforcement investigation,
regardless of whether the investigation is active or not, and
regardless of whether the photograph or image was taken by use
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HB503 INTRODUCED
Page 2
regardless of whether the photograph or image was taken by use
of a personal electronic device or device belonging to a state
or local agency, is prohibited from being disclosed,
transmitted, or used for any purpose other than an official
coroner or law enforcement purpose or as otherwise authorized
by law.
(b)(1) Any person who violates subsection (a) is guilty
of a Class B misdemeanor.
(2) Any person who, for a consideration or other gain,
including money, goods, or services, discloses or transmits
any photograph or image described in subsection (a) is guilty
of a Class A misdemeanor.
Section 2. This act shall become effective on October
1, 2026.
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