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Read. Follow. Verify.Alabama shifts domestic violence protection order violation cases to district courts starting October 1, 2026
Last action · April 16, 2026: EnactedSponsor: Lance Bell
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What This Bill Does
District courts are granted over prosecutions for violations of domestic violence protection orders, with pending cases transferring on October 1, 2026, except for those under juvenile court or municipal court jurisdiction.
Court oversight for domestic violence protection order violations shifts to district courts across the state, affecting where pending legal proceedings are handled starting October 1, 2026.
- District courts in Alabama generally handle misdemeanor prosecutions, traffic infractions, and civil actions within specific monetary limits. context
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Defendants in domestic violence protection order violation cases
Defendants face prosecution and case transfers in district courts rather than other court types starting October 1, 2026.
District courts
District courts assume exclusive original jurisdiction over prosecutions for domestic violence protection order violations and receive transferred pending cases.
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
Which court will handle domestic violence protection order violation cases under this new law?
What happens to pending violation cases on October 1, 2026?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Current status: Became law.
Procedural history
24 actions- Apr 16, 2026SenateEnrolledEnacted
- Apr 9, 2026HouseSignature Requested
- Apr 9, 2026SenateEnrolledDelivered to Governor
- Apr 9, 2026SenateEnrolled
- Apr 8, 2026SenateReady to Enroll
- Apr 8, 2026SenateGudger Motion to Concur In and Adopt House Amendment - Adopted Roll Call 1259
Show 18 earlier actions
- Apr 8, 2026HouseFloorMotion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 1325
- Apr 8, 2026HouseMotion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 1324
- Apr 8, 2026HouseJudiciary Engrossed Substitute Offered
- Apr 8, 2026HouseThird Reading in Second House
- Feb 25, 2026HouseRead for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar
- Feb 25, 2026HouseCommitteeReported Out of Committee Second House
- Feb 17, 2026HouseCommitteePending Committee Action in Second House
- Feb 17, 2026HouseIntroducedRead for the first time and referred to the House Committee on Judiciary
- Feb 17, 2026SenateEngrossed
- Feb 17, 2026SenateFloorMotion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 444
- Feb 17, 2026SenateBell motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 443
- Feb 17, 2026SenateJudiciary 1st Amendment Offered
- Feb 17, 2026SenateThird Reading in House of Origin
- Feb 12, 2026SenateRead for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar
- Feb 11, 2026SenateCommitteeReported Out of Committee House of Origin
- Feb 11, 2026SenateJudiciary 1st Amendment
- Jan 20, 2026SenateCommitteePending Committee Action in House of Origin
- Jan 20, 2026SenateIntroducedRead for the first time and referred to the Senate Committee on Judiciary
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.
Centralization of Domestic Violence Protection Order Violations
The state shifts legal authority over domestic violence protection order violations to district courts while explicitly carving out exceptions for municipal and juvenile courts.
Connected Entities
Sources
alison.legislature.state.al.us
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance65How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy15Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz20Current news / social attention level
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