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SB56 • 2026

Walker County; senior property tax exemption authorized; constitutional amendment

Walker County; senior property tax exemption authorized; constitutional amendment

Taxes
Enacted

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

Sponsor
Woods
Last action
2026-01-29
Official status
Enacted
Effective date
Contingent

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Walker County Senior Property Tax Exemption

This act proposes a constitutional amendment for Walker County that allows people aged 65 or older to get a property tax exemption on their single-family home, starting in October 2027.

What This Bill Does

  • Proposes an amendment to the Alabama Constitution allowing senior citizens over 65 years old to claim a property tax exemption for their homes in Walker County.
  • Requires that the property must be used as the person's main residence and owned by them for at least five years before they can get the exemption.
  • Freezes the assessed value of the home for tax purposes when the senior starts claiming the exemption.
  • Allows seniors to continue getting other exemptions like homestead, but the added value from improvements after the exemption is claimed will still be taxed.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Seniors aged 65 or older who own single-family homes in Walker County and use them as their main residence.
  • The Walker County Revenue Commissioner who must process these exemptions starting October 1, 2027.

Terms To Know

Ad valorem tax
A type of property tax based on the value of a property.
Millage rate
The rate used to calculate property taxes, usually expressed as dollars per $100 or $1,000 of assessed value.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This amendment needs approval from voters in Walker County before it can take effect.
  • The exemption starts on October 1, 2027, and seniors must apply between October 1 and December 31 each year to keep the exemption.

Bill History

  1. 2026-01-29 Senate

    Enacted

  2. 2026-01-29 Senate

    Delivered to Governor

  3. 2026-01-29 House

    Signature Requested

  4. 2026-01-29 Senate

    Enrolled

  5. 2026-01-29 Senate

    Ready to Enroll

  6. 2026-01-27 House

    LocalCertificationResolutionAdopted (Yeas 42, Nays 0)

  7. 2026-01-27 House

    Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 202 (Yeas 65, Nays 0)

  8. 2026-01-27 House

    Third Reading in Second House (Yeas 68, Nays 0)

  9. 2026-01-27 House

    Carried Over to the Call of the Chair

  10. 2026-01-22 House

    Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar

  11. 2026-01-22 House

    Reported Out of Committee Second House

  12. 2026-01-20 Senate

    Chambliss Local Certification Resolution - Adopted Roll Call 42 (Yeas 30, Nays 0)

  13. 2026-01-20 Senate

    Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 41 (Yeas 30, Nays 0)

  14. 2026-01-20 Senate

    Third Reading in House of Origin (Yeas 30, Nays 0)

  15. 2026-01-20 House

    Pending Committee Action in Second House

  16. 2026-01-20 House

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

  17. 2026-01-15 Senate

    Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar

  18. 2026-01-15 Senate

    Reported Out of Committee House of Origin

  19. 2026-01-13 Senate

    Pending Committee Action in House of Origin

  20. 2026-01-13 Senate

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

Official Summary Text

This act proposes an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 2022, relating to Walker County, to authorize qualified taxpayers 65 years of age or older to claim a senior property tax exemption for single-family owner-occupied residential property beginning October 1, 2027, subject to certain conditions.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
SB56 ENROLLED
Page 0
SB56
JPEIDFN-2
By Senator Woods (Constitutional Amendment)
RFD: Local Legislation
First Read: 13-Jan-26
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SB56 Enrolled
Page 1
First Read: 13-Jan-26
Enrolled, An Act,
To propose an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama
of 2022, relating to Walker County, to authorize a qualified
taxpayer 65 years of age or older to claim a senior property
tax exemption for real property owned in the county under
certain conditions.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
Section 1. The following amendment to the Constitution
of Alabama of 2022, is proposed:
PROPOSED AMENDMENT
(a) In Walker County, an individual 65 years of age or
older may claim a senior property tax exemption for ad valorem
tax purposes on real property located in the county which is
owned by the individual, classified as single-family
owner-occupied residential property, and used as the principal
place of residence of the individual for not less than five
years immediately prior to the tax year for which the
individual first claims the senior property tax exemption. The
senior property tax exemption shall freeze the assessed value
of the property for the year immediately prior to claiming the
exemption.
(b) The following provisions shall apply to the
individual claiming the senior property tax exemption:
(1) The taxpayer shall continue to receive the senior
property tax exemption as long as the taxpayer continues to
use the property as his or her principal place of residence.
(2) The individual shall continue to be eligible to
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SB56 Enrolled
Page 2
(2) The individual shall continue to be eligible to
claim a homestead exemption and any other exemption authorized
by law on the property.
(3) The property shall continue to be subject to any
millage rate changes on the property.
(4) The assessed value of any additions to the property
after claiming the senior property tax exemption shall be
added to the assessed value of the property and subject to ad
valorem tax based on the increase in the assessed value of the
addition after the taxpayer claims the senior property tax
exemption.
(5) This exemption may be claimed beginning October 1,
2027.
(6) This exemption must be claimed in writing with the
Walker County Revenue Commissioner between October 1 and
December 31.
Upon ratification of this constitutional amendment, the
Code Commissioner shall number and place this amendment as
appropriate in the constitution omitting this instructional
paragraph and may make the following nonsubstantive revisions:
change capitalization, hierarchy, spelling, and punctuation
for purposes of style and uniformity; correct manifest
grammatical, clerical, and typographical errors; revise
internal or external citations and cross-references; harmonize
language; and translate effective dates.
END PROPOSED AMENDMENT
Section 2. An election upon the proposed amendment
shall be held in accordance with Sections 284, 284.01, and 285
of the Constitution of Alabama of 2022, and the election laws
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SB56 Enrolled
Page 3
of the Constitution of Alabama of 2022, and the election laws
of this state. The appropriate election official shall assign
a ballot number for the proposed constitutional amendment on
the election ballot and shall set forth the following
description of the substance or subject matter of the proposed
constitutional amendment:
"Relating to Walker County, proposing an amendment to
the Constitution of Alabama of 2022, to authorize a qualified
taxpayer 65 years of age or older to claim a senior property
tax exemption for real property under certain conditions.
Proposed by Act ____."
This description shall be followed by the following
language:
"Yes( ) No( )."
Section 3. The proposed amendment shall become valid as
part of the Constitution of Alabama of 2022, when approved by
a majority of the qualified electors voting thereon.
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SB56 Enrolled
Page 4
a majority of the qualified electors voting thereon.
________________________________________________
President and Presiding Officer of the Senate
________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Representatives
SB56
Senate 20-Jan-26
I hereby certify that the within Act originated in and passed
the Senate.
Patrick Harris,
Secretary.
House of Representatives
Passed: 27-Jan-26
By: Senator Woods
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