SB169 • 2026

Crimes and offenses; manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, and other motor vehicle crimes amended, restitution amended

Crime

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor: Sessions
Last action: 2026-02-19
Official status: Enacted
Effective date: 2026-10-01

Plain English Breakdown

The official text contains repetitive phrasing regarding 'synthetic controlled substance fentanyl' which was simplified for readability while maintaining accuracy.

The Devinee Rooney and John Wesley Holt Safe Streets Act

This law changes Alabama laws to make killing someone while driving under the influence a form of manslaughter, removes special penalties for criminally negligent homicide in those cases, makes causing serious injury in vehicle accidents a Class B felony, and adds rules about selling fentanyl.

What This Bill Does

Adds causing death while operating a motor vehicle or vessel under the influence of alcohol or drugs to the acts that make up manslaughter.
Removes the special rule that made criminally negligent homicide a Class C felony when it happens because someone was driving under the influence.
Makes violations involving serious physical injury in motor vehicle accidents punishable as Class B felonies instead of lower crime levels.
States that knowingly selling or giving away fentanyl, mixtures containing fentanyl, synthetic controlled substances with fentanyl, or similar analogues is manslaughter if the person who received it dies from using it.
Clarifies that not knowing a drug contained fentanyl is not a defense for sellers under this new rule.
Exempts licensed doctors, pharmacists, and dentists acting within their professional duties from the fentanyl distribution manslaughter charge.
Allows victims of these specific traffic crimes to be considered crime victims eligible for restitution.

Who It Names or Affects

Drivers or boat operators who cause death while under the influence of alcohol or drugs
People who sell, give away, or distribute fentanyl and similar synthetic substances
Victims who suffer serious physical injury in motor vehicle accidents caused by others
Courts that determine penalties for manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide

Terms To Know

Manslaughter: A Class B felony crime where a person causes the death of another, now including deaths caused by driving under the influence or selling fentanyl.
Criminally negligent homicide: Causing someone's death through criminal negligence; for drivers under the influence, this is no longer a Class C felony but follows standard rules.
Class B felony: A serious crime level with heavier penalties than a Class A misdemeanor or Class C felony.
Restitution: Money paid by the person who broke the law to help cover losses suffered by victims of these specific traffic crimes.

Limits and Unknowns

The new rules only take effect on October 1, 2026.
Licensed doctors, pharmacists, and dentists are not charged under the fentanyl distribution rule if they follow their professional duties.
This law applies specifically to Alabama state laws listed in Sections 13A-6-3, 13A-6-4, and 32-10-6.

Amendments

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

YMRSZ2N-1

R 254 • Sessions

Adopted

Plain English: This amendment changes the official name of the bill to honor two people by calling it the 'Devinee Rooney and John Wesley Holt Safe Streets Act'.

The text on page 2, line 51 is replaced with a new title for the law.
The new title names the act after Devinee Rooney and John Wesley Holt.

This amendment only changes the name of the bill and does not explain what rules or laws inside it actually do.
It is unclear who Devinee Rooney and John Wesley Holt are based on this text alone.

Bill History

2026-02-19 Senate
Enacted
2026-02-12 House
Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 384 (Yeas 102, Nays 0)
2026-02-12 House
Third Reading in Second House (Yeas 102, Nays 0)
2026-02-12 House
Signature Requested
2026-02-12 Senate
Delivered to Governor
2026-02-12 Senate
Enrolled
2026-02-12 Senate
Ready to Enroll
2026-02-12 Senate
Ready to Enroll
2026-02-12 House
Shaver intended to vote "Yea"
2026-02-10 House
Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar
2026-02-10 House
Reported Out of Committee Second House
2026-02-05 Senate
Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 255 (Yeas 34, Nays 0)
2026-02-05 Senate
Sessions motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 254 (Yeas 34, Nays 0)
2026-02-05 Senate
Third Reading in House of Origin (Yeas 34, Nays 0)
2026-02-05 House
Pending Committee Action in Second House
2026-02-05 House
Read for the first time and referred to the House Committee on Judiciary
2026-02-05 Senate
Engrossed
2026-02-05 Senate
Judiciary 1st Amendment Offered
2026-02-03 Senate
Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar
2026-02-03 Senate
Reported Out of Committee House of Origin
2026-02-03 Senate
Judiciary 1st Amendment
2026-01-15 Senate
Pending Committee Action in House of Origin
2026-01-15 Senate
Read for the first time and referred to the Senate Committee on Judiciary

Official Summary Text

This act amends Sections 13A-6-3, 13A-6-4, and 32-10-6, Code of Alabama 1975, to: (1) add causing the death of an individual while operating a motor vehicle or vessel under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance to the acts constituting the crime of manslaughter; (2) remove the increased penalty of a Class C felony for causing the death of another by criminal negligence when operating a motor vehicle or vessel under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance; and (3) provide that violations of duties owed by drivers of motor vehicles in accidents that involve serious physical injury are Class B felonies, and that victims of these violations are crime victims for purposes of restitution.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SB169 ENROLLED
Page 0
SB169
PS8IVRR-3
By Senators Sessions, Williams
RFD: Judiciary
First Read: 15-Jan-26
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SB169 Enrolled
Page 1
First Read: 15-Jan-26
Enrolled, An Act,
Relating to crimes and offenses; to amend Sections
13A-6-3, 13A-6-4, and 32-10-6, Code of Alabama 1975; to
further provide for the crimes of manslaughter and criminally
negligent homicide; to further provide for the criminal
penalties for violations related to motor vehicle accidents;
and to further provide for restitution.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as
the Devinee Rooney and John Wesley Holt Safe Streets Act.
Section 2. Sections 13A-6-3, 13A-6-4, and 32-10-6, Code
of Alabama 1975, are amended to read as follows:
"§13A-6-3
(a) A person commits the crime of manslaughter if he or
she does any of the following:
(1) Recklessly causes the death of another
person individual .
(2) Causes the death of another person individual under
circumstances that would constitute murder under Section
13A-6-2; except, that he or she causes the death due to a
sudden heat of passion caused by provocation recognized by
law, and before a reasonable time for the passion to cool and
for reason to reassert itself.
(3)a. Knowingly sells, furnishes, gives away, delivers,
or distributes a controlled substance in violation of Section
13A-12-211, which contains fentanyl, any mixture containing
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SB169 Enrolled
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13A-12-211, which contains fentanyl, any mixture containing
fentanyl, any synthetic controlled substance fentanyl, or any
synthetic controlled substance fentanyl analogue as described
in Sections 20-2-23 and 20-2-25, and the person individual to
whom the controlled substance is sold, furnished, given,
delivered, or distributed dies as a proximate result of the
use of the controlled substance ; provided, nothing . Nothing
in this subdivision shall be construed to apply to a licensed
physician engaged in the practice of medicine, a licensed
pharmacist engaged in the practice of pharmacy, or a licensed
dentist engaged in the practice of dentistry.
b. It is not a defense to this subdivision that the
person who sold, furnished, gave away, delivered, or
distributed the controlled substance had no knowledge that the
controlled substance contained fentanyl, any mixture
containing fentanyl, any synthetic controlled substance
fentanyl, or any synthetic controlled substance fentanyl
analogue as described in Section Sections 20-2-23 and 20-2-25.
(4) Drives or operates a motor vehicle or vessel in
violation of Section 32-5A-191 or 32-5A-191.3, and causes the
death of another individual.
(b) Manslaughter is a Class B felony."
"§13A-6-4
(a) A person commits the crime of criminally negligent
homicide if he or she causes the death of another person
individual by criminal negligence.
(b) The jury may consider statutes and ordinances
regulating the actor's conduct in determining whether the
actor is culpably negligent under subsection (a).
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actor is culpably negligent under subsection (a).
(c) Criminally negligent homicide is a Class A
misdemeanor , except in cases in which the criminally negligent
homicide is caused by the driver or operator of a vehicle or
vessel who is driving or operating the vehicle or vessel in
violation of Section 32-5A-191 or 32-5A-191.3; in these cases,
criminally negligent homicide is a Class C felony ."
"§32-10-6
(a) Every person convicted of violating Sections
32-10-1 through 32-10-5 or any of the provisions thereof, when
such violation involved only damage to property, shall be
punished the same as prescribed by law for as follows:
(1) For a violation involving only damage to property,
a Class A misdemeanor ; provided, however, that every person
convicted of violating such sections, or any provisions
thereof, when such .
(2) For a violation involved death or personal
involving physical injury, shall be punished the same as
prescribed by law for a Class C felony.
(3) For a violation involving serious physical injury
or death, a Class B felony.
(b) Any individual who suffers any damage or loss in
connection with criminal conduct that results in a conviction
for any violation of Sections 32-10-1 through 32-10-5 shall be
considered a victim for the purposes of Article 4A of Chapter
18 of Title 15. "
Section 3. This act shall become effective on October
1, 2026.
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1, 2026.
________________________________________________
President and Presiding Officer of the Senate
________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Representatives
SB169
Senate 05-Feb-26
I hereby certify that the within Act originated in and passed
the Senate, as amended.
Patrick Harris,
Secretary.
House of Representatives
Passed: 12-Feb-26
By: Senator Sessions
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