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SB275 • 2026

City of Alabaster; entertainment districts authorized

City of Alabaster; entertainment districts authorized

Enacted

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

Sponsor
Weaver
Last action
2026-03-03
Official status
Enacted
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Alabaster Entertainment Districts

This law allows the Alabaster City Council to establish up to two entertainment districts where bars and restaurants can serve alcohol in open containers within a specific area.

What This Bill Does

  • The city council of Alabaster can make rules for entertainment districts, which are areas with places that sell drinks.
  • These districts can be no bigger than half a mile by half a mile.
  • People who buy drinks at these places can walk around the district with open containers of alcohol.
  • Other people cannot bring in closed or open containers of alcohol from outside the district during operating hours.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Alabaster City Council
  • Businesses that sell alcoholic beverages within the city limits

Terms To Know

Entertainment Districts
Areas designated by local government where businesses can serve alcohol in open containers.
Licensee
A business that has a permit to sell alcoholic beverages.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The law does not specify what happens if the city council decides not to create any entertainment districts.
  • It is unclear how many businesses will apply for permits in these districts.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-03 Senate

    Enacted

  2. 2026-02-24 House

    Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 513 (Yeas 14, Nays 0)

  3. 2026-02-24 House

    Third Reading in Second House (Yeas 51, Nays 0)

  4. 2026-02-24 House

    Signature Requested

  5. 2026-02-24 Senate

    Delivered to Governor

  6. 2026-02-24 Senate

    Enrolled

  7. 2026-02-24 Senate

    Ready to Enroll

  8. 2026-02-19 House

    Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar

  9. 2026-02-19 House

    Reported Out of Committee Second House

  10. 2026-02-17 Senate

    Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 417 (Yeas 32, Nays 0)

  11. 2026-02-17 Senate

    Third Reading in House of Origin (Yeas 32, Nays 0)

  12. 2026-02-17 House

    Pending Committee Action in Second House

  13. 2026-02-17 House

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

  14. 2026-02-12 Senate

    Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar

  15. 2026-02-11 Senate

    Reported Out of Committee House of Origin

  16. 2026-02-10 Senate

    Pending Committee Action in House of Origin

  17. 2026-02-10 Senate

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

Official Summary Text

City of Alabaster; entertainment districts authorized

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
SB275 ENROLLED
Page 0
SB275
2JE14KS-2
By Senator Weaver (N & P)
RFD: Shelby County Legislation
First Read: 10-Feb-26
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SB275 Enrolled
Page 1
First Read: 10-Feb-26
Enrolled, An Act,
Relating to Shelby County; to authorize the City
Council of the City of Alabaster to establish and regulate the
operation of entertainment districts as designated by
ordinance; and to authorize the city council to provide
penalties for violations.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
Section 1. This act is adopted pursuant to the
authority in subdivision (31) of Section 104 of the
Constitution of Alabama of 2022.
Section 2. (a) The Alabaster City Council, by
ordinance, may provide for the establishment of not more than
two entertainment districts in the city, as those districts
are defined in the Alabaster City Code. The entertainment
districts may contain one or more Alabama Alcoholic Beverage
Control Board licensees in an area that does not exceed
one-half mile by one-half mile. The ordinance of the city
council shall regulate hours of operation of an entertainment
district, may provide for the revocation of the entertainment
district designation, and may regulate any other aspect of the
operation of entertainment districts.
(b) Any retail licensee of the Alabama Alcoholic
Beverage Control Board licensed to sell alcoholic beverages
for on-premises consumption located in an entertainment
district may obtain an entertainment district permit.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any licensee that
receives an entertainment district permit shall comply with
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SB275 Enrolled
Page 2
receives an entertainment district permit shall comply with
all laws and rules governing its license, except that patrons,
guests, or members of the licensee may exit the licensed
premises with open containers of alcoholic beverages anywhere
within the confines of the entertainment district but may not
enter the premises of another licensee with open containers or
closed containers of alcoholic beverages acquired elsewhere.
In addition, the ordinance shall prohibit a person other than
a retail licensee from possessing or bringing into the
entertainment district an open or closed container of
alcoholic beverages acquired outside of the entertainment
district during the hours of operation of the entertainment
district.
(c) The ordinance shall be enforced by the City of
Alabaster and shall provide penalties for violations of the
ordinance as otherwise authorized by law.
Section 3. This act shall become effective on June 1,
2026.
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SB275 Enrolled
Page 3
2026.
________________________________________________
President and Presiding Officer of the Senate
________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Representatives
SB275
Senate 17-Feb-26
I hereby certify that the within Act originated in and passed
the Senate.
Patrick Harris,
Secretary.
House of Representatives
Passed: 24-Feb-26
By: Senator Weaver
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