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HB606 • 2026

Baldwin County Employees; revise appointments by county commission of contract employees

Baldwin County Employees; revise appointments by county commission of contract employees

Elections Labor
Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
Fidler
Last action
2026-03-17
Official status
Pending Committee Action in Second House
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide detailed information on how the county commission will decide whether or not to appoint contract employees under this new rule.

Baldwin County Employees; Changes to Contract Employee Appointments

This bill changes how the Baldwin County Commission can appoint certain contract employees.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the law so that the county commission may choose whether or not to appoint some contract employees, instead of being required to do so.
  • Removes specific positions from a list of those appointed by the county commission.
  • Requires contracts for these positions to include terms about termination and severance pay, job descriptions, annual evaluations, and provisions for renewing or canceling the contract after elections.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Baldwin County Commission
  • Contract employees in Baldwin County

Terms To Know

contract employee
An employee who works for a specific period under a written agreement with the employer.
county commission
The governing body of a county that makes decisions and sets policies.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Does not specify what happens to employees currently in these positions when the new law takes effect.
  • Does not provide details on how the county commission will decide whether or not to appoint contract employees under this new rule.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-17 House

    Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 921 (Yeas 16, Nays 0)

  2. 2026-03-17 House

    Third Reading in House of Origin (Yeas 47, Nays 0)

  3. 2026-03-17 Senate

    Pending Committee Action in Second House

  4. 2026-03-17 Senate

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

  5. 2026-03-12 House

    Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar

  6. 2026-03-12 House

    Reported Out of Committee House of Origin

  7. 2026-03-10 House

    Pending Committee Action in House of Origin

  8. 2026-03-10 House

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

Official Summary Text

Baldwin County Employees; revise appointments by county commission of contract employees

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
HB606 INTRODUCED
Page 0
HB606
BYZCI4J-1
By Representatives Fidler, Holk-Jones, Givens (N & P)
RFD: Baldwin County Legislation
First Read: 10-Mar-26
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BYZCI4J-1 02/03/2026 JWB (L)JWB 2026-635
Page 1
First Read: 10-Mar-26
A BILL
TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
Relating to Baldwin County; to amend Section
45-2-120.12, Code of Alabama 1975; to establish that
appointment of certain contract employees by the county
commission is permissive; and to remove certain positions from
the list of contract employees that are appointed by the
county commission.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
Section 1. Section 45-2-120.12, Code of Alabama 1975,
is amended to read as follows:
"§45-2-120.12
(a)(1) One appointed employee position may be filled by
the judge of probate which position The judge of probate may
appoint one employee who shall be designated serve as chief
clerk.
(2) Two appointed employee positions may be filled by
the revenue commissioner which positions The revenue
commissioner may appoint two employees who shall be
designated serve as chief clerk of collections and chief
appraiser.
(3) Three appointed employee positions may be filled by
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HB606 INTRODUCED
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(3) Three appointed employee positions may be filled by
the sheriff which positions The sheriff may appoint three
employees who shall be designated serve as chief deputy, chief
jailer, and chief of the civil division.
(b) The county commission may appoint the following
shall be appointed contract employees: County administrator,
emergency management director, juvenile detention director,
personnel director, building official, clerk/treasurer, county
engineer, development and environmental director, budget
director, and communication and information systems director.
(c) Each of the appointed contract employees shall be
employed under contract with the commission. Each contract
shall include at a minimum the following provisions:
(1) A provision for termination and severance.
(2) A job description for the position.
(3) An annual written evaluation to be reviewed with
the employee and retained by the commission in the employee's
personnel file.
(4) A provision that the contract will be nonbinding on
the successor commission after each four-year election;
however, the contracts must be cancelled canceled or continued
within 90 days of the successor commission taking office.
(5) A provision that any appointed contract employee
employed by the county commission may not be subject to any
action to cancel or not to renew the contract or in any other
manner dismiss or terminate the contract employee except by a
three-fourths vote of the elected members of the county
commission."
Section 2. This act shall become effective on October
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HB606 INTRODUCED
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Section 2. This act shall become effective on October
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