Criminal procedure; Department of Corrections, outstanding warrant check procedures on inmates, provided; virtual hearings on inmates, required under certain conditions

Crime Technology

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Orr
Last action: 2026-02-12
Official status: Read Second Time in Second House
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

SB60: Checking for Warrants and Virtual Hearings for Inmates

This law requires the Department of Corrections to check a national database for outstanding warrants at specific times, notify officials if found, and hold related hearings virtually when possible.

What This Bill Does

Requires the Department of Corrections to search the National Crime Information Center database for outstanding warrants during intake, before work release consideration, prior to parole supervision transfer, or 90 days before sentence end.
Mandates that officials notify courts, agencies, district attorneys, or municipal prosecutors if an active warrant is found.
Requires hearings related to serving these warrants to be held virtually from the prison instead of transporting the inmate, provided it is technically possible.
Prohibits requiring inmates to be physically transported for proceedings resulting from a served warrant while in custody.

Who It Names or Affects

The Department of Corrections
Inmates currently in state custody or awaiting release
The Board of Pardons and Paroles
Courts, agencies, district attorneys, and municipal prosecutors

Terms To Know

Outstanding warrant: An active order from a court to arrest someone.
Intake process: The steps taken when an inmate first arrives at a prison facility.
Work release program: A plan that allows inmates to leave the prison during the day for employment while returning in the evening.

Limits and Unknowns

Virtual hearings are only required if it is technically possible to hold them from the prison.
The law does not specify what happens if a warrant check finds no outstanding warrants other than continuing normal procedures.

Amendments

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

KHSQXUU-1

Ways and Means General Fund

Reported Out of Committee Second House

Plain English: This amendment requires Alabama prison officials to check for outstanding arrest warrants at specific times and allows inmates to attend related court hearings virtually instead of being transported.

The Department of Corrections must search a national database for outstanding warrants when an inmate enters the system, applies for work release, or is within 90 days of their scheduled release date.
If a warrant is found during these checks, prison officials must notify the court or prosecutor and help serve the warrant without physically moving the inmate to court if technology allows.
The Board of Pardons and Paroles must also check for outstanding warrants before considering an inmate for parole and report any findings to authorities.
Law enforcement agencies that issue a new warrant or indictment against someone in prison custody must notify the Department of Corrections within 30 days.

The text does not specify what happens if virtual hearing technology is unavailable, only stating cooperation should happen 'if technically possible'.
The amendment takes effect on January 1, 2027, so these rules do not apply immediately.

Bill History

2026-02-12 House
Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar
2026-02-11 House
Reported Out of Committee Second House
2026-01-27 Senate
Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 159 (Yeas 34, Nays 0)
2026-01-27 Senate
Third Reading in House of Origin (Yeas 34, Nays 0)
2026-01-27 House
Pending Committee Action in Second House
2026-01-27 House
Read for the first time and referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means General Fund
2026-01-21 Senate
Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar
2026-01-21 Senate
Reported Out of Committee House of Origin
2026-01-13 Senate
Pending Committee Action in House of Origin
2026-01-13 Senate
Read for the first time and referred to the Senate Committee on Finance and Taxation General Fund

Official Summary Text

Criminal procedure; Department of Corrections, outstanding warrant check procedures on inmates, provided; virtual hearings on inmates, required under certain conditions

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SB60 INTRODUCED
Page 0
SB60
XD9AR77-1
By Senator Orr
RFD: Finance and Taxation General Fund
First Read: 13-Jan-26
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XD9AR77-1 09/18/2025 CMH (L)bm 2025-2764
Page 1
First Read: 13-Jan-26
SYNOPSIS:
Under existing law, an arrest warrant may be
served by any law enforcement officer within this
state.
This bill would require the Department of
Corrections to check for any outstanding warrants for
an inmate under its supervision under certain
conditions and would require the department to serve
the inmate with the warrant.
This bill would require that if a hearing is
held pursuant to a required warrant check, the hearing
would be required to be held virtually from the prison,
subject to certain conditions.
This bill would also require the Board of
Pardons and Paroles to check for any outstanding
warrants and provide various notifications when an
inmate is considered for parole.
A BILL
TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
Relating to arrest warrant procedures; to further
provide for the duties of the Department of Corrections to
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SB60 INTRODUCED
Page 2
provide for the duties of the Department of Corrections to
include checks for outstanding warrants under certain
conditions; to require court hearings to be held virtually for
inmates under certain circumstances; and to further provide
for the duties of the Board of Pardons and Paroles to include
checks for outstanding warrants of an inmate considered for
parole.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
Section 1. (a) The Department of Corrections shall
check the database maintained by the National Crime
Information Center for any outstanding warrants issued for an
inmate at each of the following points:
(1) During the intake process.
(2) Upon consideration of the inmate for any work
release program.
(3) Prior to the release of the inmate into the
supervision of the Board of Pardons and Paroles.
(4) If the inmate is still in the custody of the
department, 90 days prior to the inmate's release at the end
of his or her sentence.
(b) When a search required by subsection (a) indicates
that an outstanding warrant exists, the department shall
notify the issuing court, agency, district attorney, or
municipal prosecutor as to the whereabouts of the inmate.
(c) The department shall cooperate as necessary to
ensure that any outstanding warrant for an inmate in its
physical custody is served.
(d) In the event it is technically possible, the
department shall cooperate so that any hearing required from
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SB60 INTRODUCED
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department shall cooperate so that any hearing required from
the service of an arrest warrant under this section shall be
held pursuant to Section 15-26-1, Code of Alabama 1975, and
the inmate shall not be required to be physically brought
before the judge or magistrate.
(e) Nothing in this section shall require the
department to transport an inmate for any proceeding required
as a result of a warrant served while the inmate is in the
custody of the department.
Section 2. (a) The Board of Pardons and Paroles shall
check the database maintained by the National Crime
Information Center for any outstanding warrants issued for an
inmate when an inmate is considered for parole.
(b) When a search required by subsection (a) indicates
that an outstanding warrant exists, the board shall notify the
issuing court, agency, district attorney, or municipal
prosecutor as to the whereabouts of the inmate.
Section 3. This act shall become effective on January
1, 2027.
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