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Enacted

Alabama moves Rural Hospital Investment Program oversight to Department of Revenue and expands utility tax credit rules

Original title: Rural Hospital Investment Program amended; to require the Department of Revenue to oversee the operations

Last action · February 4, 2026: EnactedSponsor: Terri Collins

Introduced
Committee
Floor Vote
Passed
Law

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What This Bill Does

Alabama shifts the administration of the Rural Hospital Investment Program from the State Treasurer to the Alabama Department of Revenue, expands utility tax credit eligibility, and sets new rules allowing taxpayers to claim credits beginning January 1, 2026.

Why it matters

Taxpayers making donations to eligible rural hospitals face updated administrative procedures through the Department of Revenue, including direct pay permit requirements for utility tax credits and specific annual donation caps ranging from $15,000 for single filers to $500,000 for corporations.

Who It Affects

Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

Eligible rural hospitals

Eligible rural hospitals receive unrestricted transfers of funds from qualified donors and must submit donation certifications to the Department of Revenue within 30 business days.

Directly affected

Taxpayers making qualified donations

Taxpayers may claim tax credits to offset eligible taxes based on their donation amounts, subject to specific caps and direct pay permit requirements for utility taxes.

Directly affected

Alabama Department of Revenue

The department assumes administrative and rulemaking oversight of the program, issues tax credits, reserves credits, and confirms donations.

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

Who oversees the Rural Hospital Investment Program under this new law?
Oversight of the program is moved from the Office of the State Treasurer to the Alabama Department of Revenue.
When can taxpayers begin claiming the tax credits?
Tax credits may be claimed beginning January 1, 2026, for the 2026 tax year.
What is required to claim a tax credit against utility taxes?
Taxpayers must have a from the Department of Revenue, provide a copy to each utility provider, notify the department of each , and receive written confirmation and certification.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Where This Stands

Current status: Became law.

Procedural history

21 actions
  1. Feb 4, 2026HouseEnrolled
    Enacted
  2. Feb 3, 2026HouseEnrolled
    Delivered to Governor
  3. Feb 3, 2026Senate
    Signature Requested
  4. Feb 3, 2026House
    Enrolled
  5. Feb 3, 2026House
    Ready to Enroll
  6. Feb 3, 2026House
    Ready to Enroll
Show 15 earlier actions
  1. Feb 3, 2026SenateFloor
    Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 220
  2. Feb 3, 2026Senate
    Third Reading in Second House
  3. Jan 29, 2026Senate
    Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar
  4. Jan 28, 2026SenateCommittee
    Reported Out of Committee Second House
  5. Jan 23, 2026SenateCommittee
    Pending Committee Action in Second House
  6. Jan 22, 2026SenateIntroduced
    Read for the first time and referred to the Senate Committee on Finance and Taxation Education
  7. Jan 22, 2026House
    Engrossed
  8. Jan 22, 2026HouseFloor
    Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 132
  9. Jan 22, 2026House
    Motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 131
  10. Jan 22, 2026House
    Collins 1st Amendment Offered
  11. Jan 22, 2026House
    Third Reading in House of Origin
  12. Jan 20, 2026House
    Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar
  13. Jan 20, 2026HouseCommittee
    Reported Out of Committee House of Origin
  14. Jan 14, 2026HouseCommittee
    Pending Committee Action in House of Origin
  15. Jan 14, 2026HouseIntroduced
    Read for the first time and referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means Education

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

1 pattern noticed across the record

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift99% confidence

Transfer of Program Oversight

The legislation shifts programmatic and rulemaking authority over the Rural Hospital Investment Program from an elected constitutional officer (the State Treasurer) to a tax administration agency (the Alabama Department of Revenue).

Connected Entities

State Treasurer, Business Council of Alabama, Rural Hospital Investment Program Board and 4 more
OrganizationState Treasurer“Former office overseeing the Rural Hospital Investment Program Board”Map →
OrganizationBusiness Council of Alabama“Appoints two representatives to the board”Map →
OrganizationRural Hospital Investment Program Board“Board established to oversee the Rural Hospital Investment Program”Map →
PersonTerri Collins“Representative who sponsored HB 245”Map →
OrganizationAlabama Department of Revenue“New oversight agency for the program”Map →
OrganizationAlabama Special Mental Health Fund“Fund protected from tax credit reductions under department rules”Map →
OrganizationAlabama Hospital Association“Appoints two representatives to the board”Map →

Sources

Open source document

alison.legislature.state.al.us

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance75
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy15
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment5
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz30
    Current news / social attention level

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