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

Children Crime

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 source does not specify what happens if the violation involves a juvenile.

Changing Where Domestic Violence Protection Order Violations Are Heard

This law changes where certain violations of domestic violence protection orders are heard in court, giving district courts more authority over these cases.

What This Bill Does

Gives district courts the main responsibility to handle cases where someone breaks a domestic violence protection order, unless the case involves juveniles or if the original order was from a municipal court.
Moves existing cases that are not yet finished and involve breaking a domestic violence protection order to district courts by October 1, 2026.

Who It Names or Affects

People who break domestic violence protection orders
Courts that handle these cases

Terms To Know

Domestic Violence Protection Order: A court order to protect someone from abuse or threats by a family member, partner, or other close person.
District Court: A type of court that handles many kinds of cases in Alabama.

Limits and Unknowns

The law does not apply to violations involving juveniles.
It is unclear how this change will affect existing cases before October 1, 2026.

Amendments

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

JP1S4NN-1

R 1324

Adopted

Plain English: JP1S4NN-1 02/25/2026 THR (H) HSE 2025-3780 House Judiciary Reported Substitute for SB173 Page 1 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 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.

JP1S4NN-1 02/25/2026 THR (H) HSE 2025-3780 House Judiciary Reported Substitute for SB173 Page 1 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 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.

This amendment summary is using official source text because generated interpretation was skipped for this run.

7BXQ3VE-1

R 443 • Bell

Adopted

Plain English: 7BXQ3VE-1 : 2/11/2026 : THR 1ST JUDICIARY AMENDMENT TO SB173 OFFERED BY SENATOR BELL Page 1 Replace lines 42 through 43 on page 2 with the following: (d) 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 Replace lines 45 through 46 on page 2 with the following: action that would constitute a violation of this section except as provided in Section 12-12-32.

7BXQ3VE-1 : 2/11/2026 : THR 1ST JUDICIARY AMENDMENT TO SB173 OFFERED BY SENATOR BELL Page 1 Replace lines 42 through 43 on page 2 with the following: (d) 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 Replace lines 45 through 46 on page 2 with the following: action that would constitute a violation of this section except as provided in Section 12-12-32.
(e) 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 Replace lines 49 through 50 on page 2 with the following: shall be transferred to the district court.
" 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

This amendment summary is using official source text because generated interpretation was skipped for this run.

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
JP1S4NN-2
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
Page 2
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
Page 3
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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