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HB521 ENGROSSED
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HB521
TBYC819-2
By Representatives Holk-Jones, Reynolds, Brinyark, Colvin,
Moore (P), Myrex, Bracy, Lamb, Shirey, Robbins, Brown, Hulsey,
Lands
RFD: Ways and Means General Fund
First Read: 26-Feb-26
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HB521 Engrossed
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First Read: 26-Feb-26
A BILL
TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
Relating to boards of registrars; to amend Sections
17-3-2, 17-3-5, and 17-3-8 as last amended by Act 2025-22 of
the 2025 Regular Session, and Section 17-4-33, Code of Alabama
1975; to require candidates for a board of registrars to
submit to a criminal background check; to require that the
state pays the salaries of the boards of registrars when the
boards' working days are affected by county, state, or
national emergencies; to require registrars to be considered
as employees for purposes of receiving natural disaster,
pandemic relief, or other emergency funds; and to permit
members of the board of registrars to omit certain information
about themselves from the voter registration list.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
Section 1. Sections 17-3-2, 17-3-5, and 17-3-8 as last
amended by Act 2025-22 of the 2025 Regular Session, and
Section 17-4-33, Code of Alabama 1975, are amended to read as
follows:
"§17-3-2
(a)(1) Registration shall be conducted in each county
by a board of three reputable and suitable individuals to be
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by a board of three reputable and suitable individuals to be
appointed , unless otherwise provided by law, by the Governor,
Auditor, and Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries, or by
a majority of them acting as a state board of appointment ,
unless otherwise provided by law .
(2)a. The Governor, Auditor, or Commissioner of
Agriculture and Industries, through his or her staff, shall
request a criminal history background check of an applicant
for the purpose of determining an applicant's qualification to
serve as a registrar. The applicant shall submit two full sets
of fingerprints through the Alabama State Law Enforcement
Agency for the purpose of obtaining a state and national
criminal history background check. Each office shall obtain an
Originating Record Identification Number from the Federal
Bureau of Investigation in order to request criminal history
background checks.
b. Fingerprints obtained pursuant to paragraph a. shall
be submitted by the Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency to
the Federal Bureau of Investigation for the purpose of
obtaining a state and national criminal history background
check.
c. The applicant shall be responsible for all costs
associated with the submission of his or her fingerprints and
obtaining a state and national criminal history background
check.
d. Information received by the Governor, Auditor, or
Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries pursuant to a state
and national criminal history background check shall be
confidential and shall not be a public record, except that any
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confidential and shall not be a public record, except that any
information received by and relied upon by the Governor,
Auditor, or Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries in
denying an application may be disclosed as necessary to
support the denial.
(3) In making appointments on or after October 1, 2025,
the state board of appointment shall consider the racial,
gender, urban, rural, and economic diversity of the that
county where the registrar will be appointed .
(2)(4) The registrars shall:
a. Be qualified electors and be residents of the
county;
b. Have a high school diploma or equivalent;
c. Possess excellent communication skills evident by
reportable experience in areas such as electronic mail, online
communications, and use of multi-line telephones;
d. Demonstrate intermediate level experience and
proficiency in data processing and use of computer programs
used in the current day-to-day workplace, including, but not
limited to, web-based operating systems;
e. Demonstrate the ability to download and upload
reports and files and conduct spreadsheet manipulation; and
f. Demonstrate the ability to operate office equipment,
including printers, copiers, scanners, and cameras.
(3)(5) The Secretary of State shall prescribe
guidelines to assist the state board of appointment in
determining the qualifications of registrars. The registrars
shall not hold an elective office during their term. One of
the members shall be designated by the state board of
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the members shall be designated by the state board of
appointment as chair of the board of registrars for each
county.
(b) Notwithstanding subsection (a), the Legislature may
provide by local law for the appointment of additional members
to the board of registrars for a county that has two
courthouses.
(c) This section shall not apply in any county having a
population of not less than 600,000 or more inhabitants
according to the 1970 or any succeeding most current federal
decennial census , and any . Any currently effective local law
or general law of local application providing for the
appointment of any member of the board of registrars in the
county shall remain in full force and effect and shall not be
repealed by operation of this chapter."
"§17-3-5
(a)(1) Each registrar shall receive a salary in the
amount of one hundred fifteen dollars ($115) per day for each
day's attendance upon business of the board, to be paid by the
state and disbursed to the county commissions and disbursed by
the county commissions to each registrar on order of a quorum
of the board of registrars of the county. The state
Comptroller shall issue to each county commission on a monthly
basis an amount sufficient to fund these payments plus the
employer share of the Social Security or Federal Insurance
Corporation Act tax. The county commission shall provide to
the Comptroller an invoice itemized to reflect payments made.
(2) If a legal holiday falls on a day the board is to
be in session and the courthouse of the county is closed for
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be in session and the courthouse of the county is closed for
the holiday, the board of registrars shall be compensated for
the holiday.
(3) A registrar shall receive payment of salary by the
state when his or her regularly scheduled day of work
coincides with closure of the office due to the existence of a
declared state of emergency or similar order from a county,
state, or federal governmental entity.
(4) Registrars may be treated the same as state
employees for the payment of relief funds originating from the
state or federal government due to a natural disaster,
pandemic, or other emergency.
(5) Each registrar shall receive a mileage allowance
equal to the amount allowed state employees or employees of
the county, whichever is greater, for official travel in the
course of attending the business of the board, including
attending continuing education programs. Travel and other
expenses shall be paid by the county commissions to the boards
of registrars, and the state shall reimburse the county
commissions based on a written request submitted by the county
commissions to the Comptroller.
(b) The provisions of this section regarding travel
mileage Subdivision (a)(5) shall not apply in any county having
a population of 600,000 or more inhabitants according to the
most current federal decennial census, and any currently
effective local law or general law of local application
regarding travel mileage for registrars in the county shall
remain in full force and effect and shall not be repealed by
operation of this chapter.
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operation of this chapter.
(c) Members of the boards of registrars of this state
are declared to be state employees for the purposes of Chapter
28 of Title 36.
(d) Members of the boards of registrars of this state
shall be treated as equals with state and county employees in
regard to Social Security protection and benefits.
(e) All payments by a county to any member of a county
board of registrars, except for mileage or reimbursement for
expenses, shall be treated for Social Security purposes
equally with payments by that county to county employees of
the county.
(f) The state office for Social Security and the state
Comptroller and each county commission shall take all
necessary action to ensure that members of the boards of
registrars of this state are treated as state and county
employees in regard to Social Security protection and benefits
as provided in Chapter 28 of Title 36, including, if
necessary, amending the federal-state agreement referred to in
Chapter 28 of Title 36, to implement the intent of the
Legislature as expressed herein.
(g) No county commission may reduce the current county
supplement upon the effect of this section by implementation
of Act 94-693.
(h)(1) A county commission may allow the chair or any
member of the county board of registrars who has served at
least 16 years in that position to participate in any health
insurance program provided by the county upon the same terms,
conditions, and employee contributions as required for county
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conditions, and employee contributions as required for county
employees.
(2) This subsection shall not apply to any health
insurance plans administered by the State of Alabama as
described in Title 36, Chapter 29 and Title 11, Chapter 91A."
"§17-3-8
(a)(1) Each member of the board of registrars in the
Counties of Clay, Cleburne, Coosa, Dallas, Escambia, Geneva,
Lowndes, Perry, Sumter, and Wilcox may meet a maximum of 120
working days each fiscal year ;.
(2) eachEach member of the board of registrars in the
Counties of Barbour, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Marengo,
Pickens, Pike, Randolph, and Winston may meet a maximum of 168
working days each fiscal year, except in Pike County each
board of registrars may meet up to an additional 30 session
days each fiscal year, at the discretion of the chair of the
county commission, and such days shall be paid from the
respective county funds ;.
(3) eachEach member of the board of registrars in the
Counties of Coffee, Shelby, Talladega, and Tallapoosa may meet
a maximum of 220 working days each fiscal year, except that in
Talladega County the board of registrars may meet up to an
additional 30 session days each fiscal year, at the discretion
of the chair of the county commission ;.
(4) eachEach member of the board of registrars in the
Counties of Dale, Franklin, Houston, Marion, Marshall,
Bullock, Macon, and Tuscaloosa may meet a maximum of 216
working days each fiscal year ; and.
(5) eachEach member of the board of registrars in
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(5) eachEach member of the board of registrars in
Russell County may meet a maximum of 177 working days each
fiscal year.
(b) In the Counties of Choctaw, Colbert, Cullman,
Lauderdale, and Monroe, each member of the board of registrars
may meet a maximum of 199 working days each fiscal year.
(c)(1) Each member of the Board of Registrars of
Autauga, Elmore, and Bibb Counties may meet a maximum of 187
working days each fiscal year. Each member of the Board of
Registrars of Walker County may meet a maximum of 200 days
each fiscal year, and each member of the Board of Registrars
of Lamar, Cherokee, Clarke, Conecuh, Crenshaw, Hale, and
Washington Counties may meet a maximum of 140 days each fiscal
year. Each member of the board of registrars in the following
counties may meet the following maximum number of working days
each fiscal year: Henry - 140 working days; Covington - 188
working days; DeKalb, Jackson, and Blount - 207 working days;
Chambers - 180 working days; and Lawrence - 200 working days.
(2) Notwithstanding Section 17-3-5, the 60 additional
working days for registrars in Lawrence County added by Act
2023-456 shall be paid by the county commission and shall not
be reimbursed by the state.
(d) Each member of the board of registrars in the
Counties of Baldwin, Calhoun, Chilton, Etowah, Limestone, Lee,
Madison, Mobile, Montgomery, St. Clair, and Morgan are
authorized to meet not more than five days each week for the
purpose of carrying out their official duties. Jefferson
County, which is now operating under the provisions of local
laws, shall be exempted from this section. Provided, however,
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laws, shall be exempted from this section. Provided, however,
that where Where the term "each year" is used in the local
laws, the term means each fiscal year.
(e) The actual number of working days to be used as
session days shall be determined by a quorum of the board of
registrars according to the needs of the county.
(f)(1) As many as 25 of the allotted working days may
be used for special registration sessions (i.e., those
sessions held away from the courthouse in the several
precincts of the county or sessions held on Saturday or
between the hours of 5:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.).
(2) Notice of any special session scheduled by the
board shall be given at least 10 days prior to the special
session by: (i) bills posted at three or more public places in
each election precinct affected, if the session involves
precinct visits; and (ii) advertisement once a week for two
successive weeks in a newspaper published in the county or by
radio or television announcements on a local station, or both
by newspaper or announcement.
(g) On any day designated as a working day for a board
of registrars, the board of registrars shall do both of the
following:
(1) Be open the same hours as the courthouse of the
county, or alternatively, establish regular hours and make
those hours available to the public.
(2) Have a registrar or staff member present during
those hours of operation."
"§17-4-33
(a) The State of Alabama shall provide, through the
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(a) The State of Alabama shall provide, through the
Secretary of State, a nondiscriminatory, single, uniform,
official, centralized, interactive computerized statewide
voter registration list defined, maintained, and administered
by the Secretary of State, with advice from the Voter
Registration Advisory Board and the President of the Alabama
Probate Judges Association, which contains the name and
registration information of every legally registered voter in
the state. The computerized list shall comply with the
following requirements:
(1) It shall serve as the single system for storing and
managing the official list of registered voters throughout the
state.
(2) It shall contain the name, address, and voting
location, as well as other information deemed necessary by the
Voter Registration Advisory Board or the Secretary of State,
of every legally registered voter in the state.
(3) A unique identifier shall be assigned to each
legally registered voter in the state.
(4) It shall contain the voting history of each
registered voter.
(5) It shall be coordinated with the driver's driver
license database of the Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency
and the appropriate state agency to assist in the removal of
deceased voters.
(6) Any election official in the state, including any
local election official, may obtain immediate electronic
access to the information contained in the computerized list.
(7) All voter registration information obtained by any
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(7) All voter registration information obtained by any
registrar in the state shall be electronically entered into
the computerized list on an expedited basis at the time
information is provided to the registrar.
(8) The Secretary of State shall provide such support
as may be required so that registrars are able to enter voter
registration information.
(9) It shall serve as the official voter registration
list for the conduct of all elections.
(10) Following each state and county election, the
Secretary of State shall provide one electronic copy of the
computerized voter list free of charge to each political party
that satisfied the ballot access requirements for that
election. The electronic copy of the computerized voter list
shall be provided within 30 days of the certification of the
election or upon the completion of the election vote history
update following the election, whichever comes first. In
addition, upon written request from the chair of a political
party, the Secretary of State shall furnish up to two
additional electronic copies of the computerized voter file
during each calendar year to each political party that
satisfied the ballot access requirements during the last
statewide election held prior to that calendar year. The
electronic copies provided pursuant to this section shall
contain the full, editable data as it exists in the
computerized voter list maintained by the Secretary of State.
(11) The list shall be maintained so that it is
technologically secure.
(b)(1) The Secretary of State, or judge of probate, or
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(b)(1) The Secretary of State, or judge of probate, or
absentee election manager, or municipal clerk, or registrar
shall include the name and omit all other information of a
registered voter on any generally available list of registered
voters, except for those lists provided to federal and state
agencies, upon the written signed affidavit of the registered
voter to the board of registrars of the county in which the
individual is registered or intends to register, affirming one
of the following:
a. That the registered voter, or a minor who is in the
legal custody of the registered voter, is or has been the
victim of domestic violence as provided in Article 7 ,
commencing with Section 13A-6-130 , of Chapter 6 of Title 13A.
b. That a domestic violence order is or has been issued
by a judge or magistrate pursuant to the Domestic Violence
Protection Order Enforcement Act, to restrain access to the
registered voter or a minor who is in the legal custody of the
registered voter.
c. That the registered voter is a federal or state
prosecutor, federal, state, probate, or municipal judge,
member of a board of registrars, legislator, or law
enforcement officer as defined in Chapter 21 of Title 36 or
the spouse of a federal or state prosecutor, federal, state,
probate, or municipal judge, member of a board of registrars,
legislator, or law enforcement officer as defined in Chapter
21 of Title 36.
(2) The Secretary of State shall develop and provide to
each county the affidavit to be completed under this
subsection."
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subsection."
Section 2. This act shall become effective on October
1, 2026.
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1, 2026.
House of Representatives
Read for the first time and referred
to the House of Representatives
committee on Ways and Means General
Fund
................26-Feb-26
Read for the second time and placed
on the calendar:
1 amendment
................05-Mar-26
Read for the third time and passed
as amended
Yeas 102
Nays 0
Abstains 1
................17-Mar-26
John Treadwell
Clerk
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