SB173 • 2026

Crimes and offenses; violation of domestic violence protection order, jurisdiction amended

Children

Enacted

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

Sponsor: Bell
Last action: 2026-04-16
Official status: Enacted
Effective date: 2026-10-01

Plain English Breakdown

The official text specifies 'exclusive original jurisdiction' for district courts with specific exceptions, which is reflected in the summary.

SB173: Changing Which Courts Handle Domestic Violence Protection Order Violations

This law gives district courts the main authority to hear cases about breaking domestic violence protection orders, starting on October 1, 2026.

What This Bill Does

Gives district courts exclusive original jurisdiction over prosecutions for violating domestic violence protection orders.
Transfers any violation cases pending on October 1, 2026, to the district court.
Excludes juvenile courts from this change if they already have jurisdiction over the case.
Does not apply to violations arising from a protection order issued by a municipal court.

Who It Names or Affects

District courts in Alabama, which will handle most new and pending violation cases starting October 1, 2026.
People accused of violating domestic violence protection orders who are not under juvenile or specific municipal jurisdiction.
Juvenile courts and municipal courts, which keep their current authority for the exceptions listed.

Terms To Know

Original jurisdiction: The power of a court to hear a case first before any other court can review it.
Pending: A legal case that has started but is not yet finished or decided by the judge.

Limits and Unknowns

This law does not change which court handles cases if a municipal court issued the protection order.
The changes only apply to new rules starting on October 1, 2026; older laws may still affect past actions.

Amendments

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

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R 1324

Adopted

Plain English: This amendment changes the law so that district courts in Alabama will handle most cases where someone breaks a domestic violence protection order, instead of other types of courts.

District courts get exclusive authority to hear and decide on prosecutions for violating domestic violence protection orders.
Any case currently waiting to be heard as of October 1, 2026, must be moved from its current court to the district court.
The new rules do not apply if the person breaking the order is a minor handled by juvenile courts or if the original order came from a municipal court.

This amendment only changes which court handles these cases; it does not change the definition of the crime, the fines, or the prison sentences listed in other parts of the law.
The specific details about how to transfer pending cases are mentioned but do not explain the exact steps courts must take.

7BXQ3VE-1

R 443 • Bell

Adopted

Plain English: This amendment clarifies that district courts have the main authority to handle cases about breaking domestic violence protection orders, unless a juvenile court is already handling it.

District courts will be given exclusive original jurisdiction over prosecutions for violating this section.

The amendment text provided only shows specific line replacements and does not include the full context of Section 12-12-32 mentioned in the new language.
It is unclear from this short excerpt exactly how cases are transferred to district courts or what happens if a case starts elsewhere.

Bill History

2026-04-16 Senate
Enacted
2026-04-09 House
Signature Requested
2026-04-09 Senate
Delivered to Governor
2026-04-09 Senate
Enrolled
2026-04-08 House
Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 1325 (Yeas 97, Nays 0)
2026-04-08 House
Motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 1324 (Yeas 102, Nays 0)
2026-04-08 Senate
Gudger Motion to Concur In and Adopt House Amendment - Adopted Roll Call 1259 (Yeas 33, Nays 0)
2026-04-08 Senate
Ready to Enroll
2026-04-08 House
Judiciary Engrossed Substitute Offered
2026-04-08 House
Third Reading in Second House
2026-02-25 House
Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar
2026-02-25 House
Reported Out of Committee Second House
2026-02-17 Senate
Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 444 (Yeas 33, Nays 0)
2026-02-17 Senate
Bell motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 443 (Yeas 33, Nays 0)
2026-02-17 Senate
Third Reading in House of Origin (Yeas 33, Nays 0)
2026-02-17 House
Pending Committee Action in Second House
2026-02-17 House
Read for the first time and referred to the House Committee on Judiciary
2026-02-17 Senate
Engrossed
2026-02-17 Senate
Judiciary 1st Amendment Offered
2026-02-12 Senate
Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar
2026-02-11 Senate
Reported Out of Committee House of Origin
2026-02-11 Senate
Judiciary 1st Amendment
2026-01-20 Senate
Pending Committee Action in House of Origin
2026-01-20 Senate
Read for the first time and referred to the Senate Committee on Judiciary

Official Summary Text

This act amends Section 13A-6-142, Code of Alabama 1975, to: (1) grant original jurisdiction over domestic violence protection order violations to district courts, unless the protection order was issued by a municipal court or the violation is under the jurisdiction of the juvenile courts; and (2) transfer such violations that are pending on October 1, 2026, to the district court.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SB173 ENROLLED
Page 0
SB173
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By Senator Bell
RFD: Judiciary
First Read: 20-Jan-26
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SB173 Enrolled
Page 1
First Read: 20-Jan-26
Enrolled, An Act,
Relating to crimes and offenses; to amend Section
13A-6-142, Code of Alabama 1975, to further provide for the
jurisdiction over prosecutions for violations of domestic
violence protection orders.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
Section 1. Section 13A-6-142, Code of Alabama 1975, is
amended to read as follows:
"§13A-6-142
(a) A person commits the crime of violation of a
domestic violence protection order if the person knowingly
commits any act prohibited by a domestic violence protection
order or willfully fails to abide by any term of a domestic
violence protection order.
(b) A violation of a domestic violence protection order
is a Class A misdemeanor which shall be punishable as provided
by law. A second conviction for violation of a domestic
violence protection order, in addition to any other penalty or
fine, shall be punishable by a minimum of 30 days imprisonment
which may not be suspended. A third or subsequent conviction
is a Class C felony.
(c) In addition to any other fine or penalty provided
by law, the court shall order the defendant to pay an
additional fine of fifty dollars ($50) for a violation of a
domestic violence protection order to be distributed to the
Domestic Violence Trust Fund, established by Section 30-6-11.
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SB173 Enrolled
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Domestic Violence Trust Fund, established by Section 30-6-11.
(d)(1) Except for violations of this section that are
under the jurisdiction of the juvenile courts of this state,
the district courts of this state shall have exclusive
original jurisdiction over prosecutions for violations of this
section or any other prosecution for an action that would
constitute a violation of this section except as provided in
Section 12-12-32.
(2) Except for violations of this section that are
under the jurisdiction of the juvenile courts of this state,
any prosecution for a violation of this section, or any other
prosecution for an action that would constitute a violation of
this section, that is pending on October 1, 2026, shall be
transferred to the district court.
(3) This subsection shall not apply to violations
arising from a domestic violence protection order issued by a
municipal court. "
Section 2. This act shall become effective on October
1, 2026.
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SB173 Enrolled
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1, 2026.
________________________________________________
President and Presiding Officer of the Senate
________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Representatives
SB173
Senate 17-Feb-26
I hereby certify that the within Act originated in and passed
the Senate, as amended.
Patrick Harris,
Secretary.
House of Representatives
Amended and passed: 08-Apr-26
Senate concurred in House amendment 08-Apr-26
By: Senator Bell
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