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Read. Follow. Verify.Winston County enacts an 8 percent lodging tax and a $5 per-night fire protection fee, pending voter referendum
Last action · April 13, 2026: EnactedSponsor: Tim Wadsworth
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What This Bill Does
Winston County is authorized to levy an 8 percent lodging tax on short-term rentals and accommodations and impose a $5 per-night fire protection fee on guests, subject to voter approval in a local . If approved, the collections will fund county road improvements, the sheriff's office, tourism promotion, debt service on the county judicial building and jail, and local volunteer fire departments. The measures are set to become effective October 1, 2026, if affirmed by voters.
Visitors renting lodging in Winston County will pay an 8 percent tax plus a $5 nightly fire fee, with revenues directed toward county infrastructure, law enforcement, tourism, and volunteer fire departments.
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Transient guests
Transient guests must pay an 8 percent lodging tax and a $5 per-night fire protection fee on accommodations rented in Winston County.
Accommodation providers
Hotels, motels, inns, short-term rentals, and other accommodation providers are required to collect the lodging tax and fire fee from guests at the time of payment and remit them to the county.
Winston County Sheriff
The sheriff receives 20 percent of the lodging tax proceeds to be expended at their discretion for law enforcement purposes.
Volunteer fire departments in Winston County
Volunteer fire departments receive equal shares of the proceeds collected from the $5 nightly fire protection fee.
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 pays the new lodging tax and fire protection fee?
What will the money collected from the lodging tax and fire fee be used for?
Does this act take effect automatically?
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
16 actions- Apr 13, 2026HouseEnrolledEnacted
- Apr 8, 2026SenateSignature Requested
- Apr 8, 2026HouseEnrolled
- Apr 8, 2026HouseReady to Enroll
- Apr 8, 2026SenateFloorMotion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 1231
- Apr 8, 2026SenateThird Reading in Second House
Show 10 earlier actions
- Apr 7, 2026SenateRead for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar
- Apr 7, 2026SenateCommitteeReported Out of Committee Second House
- Mar 31, 2026SenateCommitteePending Committee Action in Second House
- Mar 31, 2026SenateIntroducedRead for the first time and referred to the Senate Committee on Local Legislation
- Mar 19, 2026HouseFloorMotion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 984
- Mar 19, 2026HouseThird Reading in House of Origin
- Mar 17, 2026HouseRead for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar
- Mar 17, 2026HouseCommitteeReported Out of Committee House of Origin
- Mar 11, 2026HouseCommitteePending Committee Action in House of Origin
- Mar 11, 2026HouseIntroducedRead for the first time and referred to the House Committee on Local Legislation
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.
Dedicated Debt Retirement Provision
A specific portion (10 percent) of the county general fund proceeds from the lodging tax is mandated to be used exclusively to retire debts or loans from the construction of the Winston County judicial building and jail before being used for other purposes.
Connected Entities
Sources
alison.legislature.state.al.us
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance65How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy40Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz30Current news / social attention level
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