An Update from the Legislature

The legislature completed Days 13 and 14 of the 2026 Session this week, putting lawmakers on track to reach the halfway mark when they reconvene next week.

Senator Donnie Chesteen’s SB71, legislation focused on ensuring environmental policy relies on sound science, cleared final passage in the House and has been signed into law by Governor Kay Ivey. The bill aligns Alabama’s environmental regulatory framework with federal standards and gives businesses greater certainty and consistency by helping prevent regulatory overreach.

The House approved two health coverage bills this week — SB19 by Senator Steve Livingston and HB300 by Representative Frances Holk-Jones — that would require insurance and health benefit plans to cover prostate and breast cancer screenings at no cost to patients. While these measures focus on preventive care, they add to a growing number of insurance mandates advancing this session in Alabama. Mandates on employer-sponsored health plans increase costs for businesses and ultimately for employees — BCA continues to caution lawmakers against policies that expand coverage requirements without addressing their long-term cost impacts on the workforce and employers.

In the Senate, legislators passed SB247, sponsored by Senator Andrew Jones, as amended. The bill authorizes a health care service corporation to reorganize under the ultimate control of a nonprofit holding corporation, a change that could provide additional operational flexibility within the health care marketplace.

Separately, leadership changes took place within the House Republican Caucus. Representative Scott Stadthagen resigned as Majority Leader to pursue the chairmanship of the Alabama Republican Party. Yesterday, members of the caucus elected Representative Paul Lee as their new Majority Leader.