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Read. Follow. Verify.Alabama HB 389 Establishes Mandatory 24-Hour Holding Periods for Domestic Violence Arrests and Increases Penalties
Last action · April 1, 2026: Read for the Second Time and placed on the CalendarSponsor: Chad Robertson
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What This Bill Would Do
Alabama HB 389 requires a mandatory 24-hour holding period without bond execution for individuals arrested for domestic violence or protection order violations, effective October 1, 2026. The bill expands domestic violence definitions to include dating relationships' minor children, mandates minimum incarceration terms for repeat offenses, and prohibits requiring polygraph tests for victims.
Changes bail and holding procedures for domestic violence defendants across Alabama, impacting local law enforcement agencies, court dockets, and detention facilities while altering criminal penalties and firearm restrictions for offenders.
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.
Domestic violence defendants
Defendants face a mandatory 24-hour holding period upon arrest, doubled minimum prison sentences under specific aggravating circumstances, and stricter bond conditions.
Domestic violence victims
Victims are provided safety time through holding periods, protection from required polygraph exams, exemption from court costs, and mandatory written notice of legal rights.
Law enforcement officers
Officers must evaluate opposing complaints separately to find the predominant aggressor, provide standardized legal notices to victims, and report all domestic violence incidents including non-arrests.
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
What happens immediately after a person is arrested for domestic violence under this bill?
Can a victim of domestic violence be forced to take a polygraph test during an investigation?
How does the bill handle incidents of domestic violence that do not lead to an arrest?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently on floor. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Passed.
Procedural history
4 actions- Apr 1, 2026HouseRead for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar
- Apr 1, 2026HouseCommitteeReported Out of Committee House of Origin
- Feb 5, 2026HouseCommitteePending Committee Action in House of Origin
- Feb 5, 2026HouseIntroducedRead for the first time and referred to the House 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.
Mandatory Pre-Arraignment Holding Period
HB 389 introduces a strict statewide 24-hour pre-release holding period for all domestic violence arrests, overriding standard bail execution rules.
Connected Entities
Sources
alison.legislature.state.al.us
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance85How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy40Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz35Current news / social attention level
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