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HB525 • 2026

Covington County; county commission authorized to adopt ordinances to protect public health and welfare, regulate environmental impact of certain activities, Constitutional Amendment

Covington County; county commission authorized to adopt ordinances to protect public health and welfare, regulate environmental impact of certain activities, Constitutional Amendment

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
Hammett (M)
Last action
2026-03-03
Official status
Pending Committee Action in House of Origin
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material did not provide specific details about the penalties or regulations that would be established, leaving these aspects open to interpretation based on future ordinances.

Covington County Environmental and Health Ordinances

This bill proposes a constitutional amendment that would allow the Covington County Commission to create ordinances protecting public health, regulating environmental impacts of industries or projects, and setting penalties for violations.

What This Bill Does

  • Proposes an amendment to Alabama's Constitution to give the Covington County Commission power to make laws.
  • Allows the county commission to protect public health in unincorporated areas through new ordinances.
  • Gives the county commission authority to regulate environmental impacts of industries, projects, or activities within the county.
  • Enables the county commission to establish penalties for breaking these new ordinances.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Covington County residents and businesses
  • The Covington County Commission

Terms To Know

Constitutional Amendment
A change to the state's main law book, called the Constitution.
Ordinances
Local laws made by a county or city government.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The amendment cannot be used inside city limits unless agreed upon with the city.
  • It does not allow for new taxes to be created without further approval.
  • The exact penalties and regulations will depend on future ordinances made by the county commission.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-03 House

    Re-referred to Committee in House of Origin

  2. 2026-03-03 House

    Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar

  3. 2026-03-03 House

    Reported Out of Committee House of Origin

  4. 2026-02-26 House

    Pending Committee Action in House of Origin

  5. 2026-02-26 House

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

Official Summary Text

Covington County; county commission authorized to adopt ordinances to protect public health and welfare, regulate environmental impact of certain activities, Constitutional Amendment

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HB525 INTRODUCED
Page 0
HB525
TBY8T99-1
By Representative Hammett (Constitutional Amendment)
RFD: Local Legislation
First Read: 26-Feb-26
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TBY8T99-1 02/26/2026 EGC (L)EGC 2026-1083
Page 1
First Read: 26-Feb-26
SYNOPSIS:
This bill would propose an amendment to the
Constitution of Alabama of 2022, relating to Covington
County, to grant the Covington County Commission
authority to adopt ordinances to protect public health
and welfare; regulate the environmental impact of any
industry, project, or activity; and establish and
provide for civil penalties.
A BILL
TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To propose an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama
of 2022, relating to Covington County, to grant the Covington
County Commission authority to adopt ordinances to protect
public health and welfare; regulate the environmental impact
of any industry, project, or activity; and establish and
provide for civil penalties .
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) The Covington County Commission may adopt
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HB525 INTRODUCED
Page 2
(a) The Covington County Commission may adopt
ordinances to do all of the following:
(1) Protect and enhance the public health and welfare
in the unincorporated area.
(2) Regulate the environmental impact of any industry,
project, activity, or similar endeavor proposed to be
undertaken in the county.
(3) Establish and provide for civil penalties for
violation of county ordinances.
(b) Notwithstanding subsection (a), the Covington
County Commission may not establish or levy any new tax or
raise revenue unless authorized by this constitution or by
general or local law.
(c) Unless otherwise provided by general or local law
in effect upon ratification of this amendment, the Covington
County Commission may not exercise any of the powers granted
in this amendment inside the corporate limits of any
municipality; within any other territory in which a
municipality or an instrumentality of a municipality is
authorized by an act of the Legislature to exercise the power;
or within any other county, except by contract with the
municipality, municipality instrumentality, or county
affected.
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
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HB525 INTRODUCED
Page 3
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
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 Covington County, proposing an amendment
to the Constitution of Alabama of 2022, to grant the Covington
County Commission authority to adopt ordinances to protect
public health and welfare; regulate the environmental impact
of any industry, project, or activity; and establish and
provide for civil penalties .
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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