POLISCOPE
Back to bills
Part ofCriminal Procedure →

The civic record

Read. Follow. Verify.
HB 228ALABAMASession 2026rsState Billpassed chamber
Passed

Alabama revises pretrial detention hearings and sets new procedures for denying bail

Original title: Pretrial detention hearings; procedure revised

Last action · March 11, 2026: Read for the Second Time and placed on the CalendarSponsor: Jim Hill

Companion · SB 139same policy, Senate version
Bill progressHistory & official text ↓
Introduced
Committee
Floor Vote
Passed
Law

Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.

Public stanceCommunity reactions are separate from the official record and reporting.

What This Bill Would Do

Alabama revises procedures for preliminary hearings and pretrial detention, requiring defendants charged with specific violent and serious offenses to be held without bail until a detention hearing is held. The legislation establishes timelines, evidentiary standards, and procedural rights for these hearings, with an effective date of May 15, 2026.

Why it matters

Defendants accused of major offenses such as murder, first-degree rape, and kidnapping will remain jailed without bail pending a formal detention hearing where prosecutors must prove by that no release conditions will ensure court appearance or community safety.

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

Criminal defendants

Defendants charged with specified serious offenses are held without bail pending a hearing and are subject to new hearing procedures, timelines, and evidentiary rules.

Directly affected

Prosecuting attorneys

Prosecutors must prove by clear and convincing evidence that no release conditions will ensure court appearance or community safety in order to deny bail.

Directly affected

Board of Pardons and Paroles

The board is authorized to supervise certain defendants on bond and must adopt rules to implement this supervision.

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 offenses require a defendant to be held without bail until a hearing?
Qualifying offenses include murder, first-degree kidnapping, first-degree rape, first-degree sodomy, sexual torture, first-degree domestic violence, first-degree human trafficking, first-degree burglary, first-degree arson, first-degree robbery, terrorism, and aggravated child abuse.
How soon must a pretrial detention hearing be held after an arrest?
The court must set a within 10 days of the defendant's arrest for a qualifying offense, unless a continuance is requested or the parties agree on bail conditions.
What rights do defendants have during a pretrial detention hearing?
Defendants have the right to be represented by counsel (with appointed counsel if financially unable), to testify, to present witnesses and evidence, and to cross-examine witnesses.
Where are appeals of pretrial detention orders filed?
Appeals are made to the Court of Criminal Appeals, unless there is an inadequate record, in which case the appeal goes to the circuit court .

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

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

Follow the record

Votes, people, money & the original source

Where This Stands

Currently passed chamber. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Law.

Procedural history

13 actions
  1. Mar 11, 2026Senate
    Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar
  2. Mar 11, 2026SenateCommittee
    Reported Out of Committee Second House
  3. Feb 10, 2026SenateCommittee
    Pending Committee Action in Second House
  4. Feb 10, 2026SenateIntroduced
    Read for the first time and referred to the Senate Committee on Judiciary
  5. Feb 10, 2026House
    Engrossed
  6. Feb 10, 2026HouseFloor
    Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 354
Show 7 earlier actions
  1. Feb 10, 2026House
    Motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 353
  2. Feb 10, 2026House
    Judiciary Engrossed Substitute Offered
  3. Feb 10, 2026House
    Third Reading in House of Origin
  4. Jan 29, 2026House
    Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar
  5. Jan 28, 2026HouseCommittee
    Reported Out of Committee House of Origin
  6. Jan 14, 2026HouseCommittee
    Pending Committee Action in House of Origin
  7. Jan 14, 2026HouseIntroduced
    Read 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

Jim HillHouse · District 50RepublicanPrimary sponsor

Discoveries

1 pattern noticed across the record

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

policy shift95% confidence

Restructuring of Pretrial Detention and Repeal of Prior Supervision

The bill repeals Section 15-13-3.1 regarding pretrial supervision while establishing mandatory detention without bail for specified violent offenses pending a formal hearing.

Board of Pardons and Paroles

Connected Entities

Supreme Court of Alabama, Board of Pardons and Paroles, Court of Criminal Appeals and 2 more
OrganizationSupreme Court of Alabama“Court requested to amend its rules to conform with the act”Map →
OrganizationBoard of Pardons and Paroles“Board authorized to supervise certain defendants as a condition of bond”Map →
OrganizationCourt of Criminal Appeals“Appellate court designated for appeals of pretrial detention orders”Map →
PersonJohn Treadwell“Clerk of the House of Representatives”Map →
PersonJim Hill“Representative who introduced HB 228”Map →

Sources

Open source document

alison.legislature.state.al.us

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance85
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy60
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment10
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz40
    Current news / social attention level

Publisher tools

Share or embed this record

POLISCOPE publisher tools

Share or embed this record