This week, the Alabama legislature returned to complete days 17 and 18 of the 2025 legislative session.
Senate Bill 252 — legislation addressing the reimbursement of Alabama’s independent pharmacies — received a favorable report in the House Insurance Committee. The committee amended the bill to remove the private right of action, which was included in the original Senate version. BCA worked closely with House leaders to ensure businesses are shielded from frivolous lawsuits. The bill is now set for consideration on the House floor next week.
The Senate Banking and Insurance Committee held a public hearing on Senate Bill 228 but did not vote on the bill. This proposed legislation would establish a private right of action, allowing individuals and corporations to claim discrimination on a broad range of subjective ideological grounds. It represents a significant government overreach into the operations of financial institutions, insurers, credit card companies, and payment processors — all of which already face regulation through numerous federal laws. The bill would enable individuals to sue these entities for alleged discrimination, even in the absence of findings by the Alabama Banking Department or Alabama Insurance Department. Complainants could pursue treble damages, attorney’s fees, and injunctive relief in civil court. This creates unnecessary legal risks, which would raise operational costs for businesses and, ultimately, drive up costs for consumers.
In budget news, the House approved a nearly $3.9 billion General Fund budget for Fiscal Year 2026, incorporating updates to Governor Kay Ivey’s original recommendations made at the beginning of the legislative session. Key changes include increased funding for the Department of Transportation’s Airport Development Grant Program and the Capitol Police force.
This week, Senate Majority Leader Steve Livingston joined BCA to discuss strategies for strengthening Alabama’s workforce and economy through collaboration between lawmakers, the business community, and local leaders. He highlighted the passage of both the General Fund and Education Trust Fund budgets as top priorities for the remaining days of the session.
We hope you will join us next week as we welcome House Majority Leader Scott Stadthagen on April 8 at 9:00 A.M. for our next briefing.
Bill: SB22
Sponsor: Sen. Merika Coleman
BCA Position: Monitor
Status: Passed Senate; pending action in House Ways and Means Education Committee
Additional Information: This bill further provides for the recapture of incentives for a company who is found guilty of human trafficking.
Bill: SB252
Sponsor: Sen. Billy Beasley
BCA Position: Opposed as introduced; monitor as amended in House committee*
Status: Passed Senate; amended and received favorable report in House Insurance Committee
Additional Information: This bill would impose a $10.64 dispensing fee on all prescriptions, excluding specialty drugs, filled by independent pharmacies in Alabama.
Bill: SB187/HB317
Sponsor: Sen. Clyde Chambliss/Rep. Chris Sells
BCA Position: Monitor
Status: Reported out of Senate Children and Youth Health Committee/pending action in House Children and Senior Advocacy Committee
Additional Information: This bill would require app store providers to verify user ages, link minor accounts to parent accounts with consent, and notify users of significant app changes. It would mandate protection of age verification data and prevent enforcing contracts with minors or sharing personal data. Developers would be required to verify ages, notify users of app changes, and comply with age data regulations. The Attorney General would adopt rules and could take action for violations as deceptive trade practices.
Bill: SB228/HB418
Sponsor: Sen. Andrew Jones/Rep. Jamie Kiel
BCA Position: Opposed
Status: Pending action in Senate Banking and Insurance Committee; pending action in House Financial Services Committee
Additional Information: This bill would create a new private right of action that individuals and corporations can use to claim discrimination on a wide variety of subjective ideological grounds. The bill represents a significant government encroachment into how certain financial institutions, insurers, credit card companies, and payment processors assess risk and make business decisions, determinations that are already subject to numerous federal laws and regulations. Importantly, even if the Alabama Banking Department or Alabama Insurance Department investigates a discrimination complaint and finds no violation, this bill still would give a complainant the ability to seek and recover treble damages, attorneys’ fees, and injunctive relief in civil court.
Bill: HB283
Sponsor: Rep. Mike Shaw
BCA Position: Monitor
Status: Pending action is House Commerce and Small Business Committee
Additional Information: This bill would allow consumers to confirm, correct, delete, or obtain a copy of their personal data and opt out of its processing. It would require controllers to provide a secure method for consumers to exercise their rights and establish an appeals process. Consumers could designate an authorized agent to act on their behalf. The bill would also regulate how controllers process personal and deidentified data.
Bill: HB291
Sponsor: Rep. Neil Rafferty
BCA Position: Opposed
Status: Pending action in House Committee on Commerce and Small Business
Additional Information: This bill would repeal the Alabama Uniform Minimum Wage and Right-to-Work Act.
Bill: HB477/SB84
Sponsor: Rep. David Faulkner/Sen. Arthur Orr
BCA Position: Monitor
Status: Pending action in House Health Committee/pending action in Senate Banking and Insurance Committee
Additional Information: This bill would allow a nonprofit agricultural organization to provide health benefits to its members and their families. Under current law, all health plans are regulated under the Department of Insurance. This legislation would exempt this plan from all insurance laws and regulations without any oversight. The proposed bill explicitly authorizes a nonprofit agricultural organization to provide such benefits while maintaining that they are not in the business of health insurance.
* BCA has concerns with these bills as introduced, as they would lead to increased costs for employers and their employees.
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