HB74 • 2026

Law enforcement officers; retirement, benefits provided

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor: Robertson (C)
Last action: 2026-02-12
Official status: Read Second Time in Second House
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The effective date is October 1, 2026; this law will not be in effect until then despite passing the legislature.

Law Enforcement Retirement Badges and Pistols

This law requires certain county or municipal agencies to give retiring officers their badges and allows those agencies to either gift or sell the officer's service pistol.

What This Bill Does

Requires qualifying agencies to present a badge as part of retirement benefits for eligible officers.
Allows agencies to choose whether to give an agency-issued pistol as a retirement benefit.
Permits agencies that do not gift the pistol to offer it for sale at a reasonable fair market price determined by the agency.

Who It Names or Affects

County or municipal police agencies whose officers must be certified under the Alabama Peace Officers' Standards and Training Commission.
Law enforcement officers employed in good standing with these agencies at the time of their retirement.

Terms To Know

Agency: A county or municipal agency that requires its law enforcement officers to be certified under the Alabama Peace Officers' Standards and Training Commission.
Qualifying Officer: A law enforcement officer employed by an agency in good standing at the time of retirement.

Limits and Unknowns

The law does not specify what happens if a retiring officer declines to buy or accept the pistol.
Agencies determine their own reasonable fair market price for selling pistols.
This act only applies to county and municipal agencies, excluding state-level officers.

Bill History

2026-02-12 Senate
Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar
2026-02-11 Senate
Reported Out of Committee Second House
2026-01-27 Senate
Pending Committee Action in Second House
2026-01-27 Senate
Read for the first time and referred to the Senate Committee on Finance and Taxation General Fund
2026-01-22 House
Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 158 (Yeas 103, Nays 0)
2026-01-22 House
Third Reading in House of Origin (Yeas 99, Nays 0)
2026-01-14 House
Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar
2026-01-14 House
Reported Out of Committee House of Origin
2026-01-13 House
Pending Committee Action in House of Origin
2026-01-13 House
Read for the first time and referred to the House Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security

Official Summary Text

Law enforcement officers; retirement, benefits provided

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB74 INTRODUCED
Page 0
HB74
HGYT788-1
By Representative Robertson
RFD: Public Safety and Homeland Security
First Read: 13-Jan-26
PFD: 02-Dec-25
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HGYT788-1 11/17/2025 THR (L)THR 2025-3334
Page 1
PFD: 02-Dec-25
SYNOPSIS:
This bill would require certain county or
municipal agencies to present a qualifying officer with
his or her agency-issued badge as part of his or her
retirement benefits.
This bill would authorize certain county or
municipal agencies to present a qualifying officer with
his or her agency-issued pistol as part of his or her
retirement benefits.
This bill would also authorize certain county or
municipal agencies to sell an agency-issued pistol to a
qualified officer at the time of his or her retirement
in certain circumstances.
A BILL
TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
Relating to law enforcement officers; to further
provide for law enforcement officer retirement benefits.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
Section 1. (a) For the purposes of this section, the
following terms have the following meanings:
(1) AGENCY. A county or municipal agency that requires
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HB74 INTRODUCED
Page 2
(1) AGENCY. A county or municipal agency that requires
its law enforcement officers to be certified under the Alabama
Peace Officers' Standards and Training Commission.
(2) QUALIFYING OFFICER. A law enforcement officer
employed by and in good standing with an agency at the time of
the officer's retirement.
(b) An agency shall present a qualifying officer with
his or her agency-issued badge as part of his or her
retirement benefits.
(c) An agency may present a qualifying officer with his
or her agency-issued pistol as part of his or her retirement
benefits.
(d) If an agency chooses not to act pursuant to
subsection (c), the agency, at the time of the qualifying
officer's retirement, may offer to sell the qualifying
officer's agency-issued pistol to the qualifying officer at a
reasonable fair market price determined by the agency.
Section 2. This act shall become effective on October
1, 2026.
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