The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.Alabama requires municipalities to pass ordinances, hold public hearings, and provide 30-day notice for new or increased taxes or fees starting October 1, 2026
Last action · March 17, 2026: Read for the Second Time and placed on the CalendarSponsor: Jim Carns
Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.
What This Bill Would Do
Starting October 1, 2026, Alabama municipalities must enact any new or increased tax or through an that follows a mandatory 30-day public notice and hearing process. The notice must detail the proposal, the specific amounts, and the hearing details, and must be published in a local newspaper as well as online.
Residents and business owners gain guaranteed advance notice and a formal public hearing before any local council can vote to institute a new municipal tax or raise an existing fee.
- Municipal ordinances in Alabama govern local laws, and changes to how taxes and fees are levied alter the statutory requirements set out in the Code of Alabama 1975. context
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Municipalities
Municipalities must comply with mandatory 30-day public notice, website publishing, and hearing procedures before enacting any new or increased tax or license fee.
Local Taxpayers and Business Owners
Local residents and business owners receive mandatory advance notice and an opportunity to participate in a public hearing regarding any proposed local tax or fee increases.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
When do these new tax and fee notice requirements take effect?
How much advance notice must a municipality provide before holding a public hearing on a new tax or fee?
Where must the proposed ordinance notice be published online?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
Follow the record
Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently on floor. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Passed.
Procedural history
4 actions- Mar 17, 2026HouseRead for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar
- Mar 17, 2026HouseCommitteeReported Out of Committee House of Origin
- Mar 3, 2026HouseCommitteePending Committee Action in House of Origin
- Mar 3, 2026HouseIntroducedRead for the first time and referred to the House Committee on County and Municipal Government
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Mandatory Public Hearing and Notice Period for Local Taxes
The legislation introduces a uniform statewide mandate requiring municipalities to provide a 30-day notice and online publishing for any new or increased local tax or license fee starting October 1, 2026.
Connected Entities
Sources
alison.legislature.state.al.us
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance65How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy25Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz30Current news / social attention level
Publisher tools