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Alabama Senate Bill 27 Restructures Department of Archives and History Board to 17 Members

Original title: Department of Archives and History; composition of board and method of filling board vacancies further provided for, retroactive effect

Last action · January 13, 2026: Pending Committee Action in House of OriginSponsor: Chris Elliott

Introduced
Committee
Floor Vote
Passed
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What This Bill Would Do

This bill sets the Board of Trustees of the Department of Archives and History to a fixed 17 members, defines appointment rules for each specific seat by the Governor, House Speaker, and Senate President Pro Tempore, and applies retroactively to January 1, 2025.

Why it matters

Changes how every seat on the state historical board is filled and sets specific six-year term schedules starting across various years from 2025 through 2030, altering governance control among state leaders.

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.

Directly affected

Board of Trustees of the Department of Archives and History

The board's total composition, appointment methods, and seat distribution are revised.

Directly affected

Governor

Assumes specific appointment responsibilities for congressional district seats and at-large seats.

Directly affected

Speaker of the House of Representatives

Gains direct appointment authority over specified at-large board seats.

Directly affected

President Pro Tempore of the Senate

Gains direct appointment authority over specified at-large board seats.

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

How many members will serve on the Board of Trustees under this bill?
The bill sets the board composition to 17 members.
Who appoints the members to the board?
Appointments are divided among the Governor, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, with certain seats requiring nominee lists from legislative minority leaders.
Do board members receive any pay for their service?
No, board members receive no compensation for their services, though they are reimbursed for and travel allowance amounts at the same rate as state employees.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

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

Where This Stands

Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.

Procedural history

2 actions
  1. Jan 13, 2026SenateCommittee
    Pending Committee Action in House of Origin
  2. Jan 13, 2026SenateIntroduced
    Read for the first time and referred to the Senate 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

Connected Entities

Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Department of Archives and History, Governor and 4 more
PersonMinority Leader of the House of Representatives“Provides nominees for Seat 9.”Map →
OrganizationDepartment of Archives and History“State agency controlled by the Board of Trustees.”Map →
PersonGovernor“Appointing authority for multiple board seats and voting member of the board.”Map →
PersonPresident Pro Tempore of the Senate“Appointing authority for specified at-large board seats.”Map →
PersonSpeaker of the House of Representatives“Appointing authority for specified at-large board seats.”Map →
PersonMinority Leader of the Senate“Provides nominees for Seat 15.”Map →
OrganizationBoard of Trustees of the Department of Archives and History“Governing board of the department whose composition is altered by the bill.”Map →

Sources

Open source document

alison.legislature.state.al.us

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance45
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy25
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment5
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz15
    Current news / social attention level

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