HB129 By Representative Sorrell RFD State Government Rd 1 04-FEB-20

SYNOPSIS: Under existing law, local bills are required to be advertised in a newspaper in the affected county or counties prior to introduction.

This bill would propose an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, to allow the advertisement of local bills on the Internet.

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT

Proposing an amendment to Section 106 of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, as amended by Amendment 341, now appearing as Section 106 of the Official Recompilation of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, as amended, relating to the notice requirement for local legislation; to authorize the publication of notice of intention to introduce local bills on the Internet.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:Section 1. The following amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, as amended, is proposed and shall become valid as a part thereof when approved by a majority of the qualified electors voting thereon and in accordance with Sections 284, 285, and 287 of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, as amended:

PROPOSED AMENDMENT

"Section 106. No special, private, or local law shall be passed on any subject not enumerated in section Section 104 of this Constitution, except in reference to fixing the time of holding courts, unless notice of the intention to apply therefor shall have been published, without cost to the state, in the county or counties where the matter or thing to be affected may be situated, which notice shall state the substance of the proposed law and be published for 28 consecutive days on a public Internet website or successor technology, unless the governing body determines that a website would not provide adequate notice to the intended audience as provided by general law; or, if publication by Internet website is declared by the governing body of any affected county to be insufficient as provided by general law, at least once a week for four consecutive weeks in some newspaper published in such that county or counties, or if there is no newspaper published therein, then by posting the said notice for four consecutive weeks at five different places in the county or counties prior to the introduction of the bill; and proof by affidavit that said the notice has been given shall be exhibited to each house of the legislature Legislature, and said the proof spread upon the journal. The courts shall pronounce void every special, private, or local law which the journals do not affirmatively show was passed in accordance with the provisions of this section.

"This amendment shall be self-executing, and no enabling legislation shall be necessary."

Section 2. An election upon the proposed amendment shall be held in accordance with Sections 284 and 285 of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, now appearing as Sections 284 and 285 of the Official Recompilation of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, as amended, and the election laws of this state.

Section 3. The appropriate election official shall assign a ballot number for the proposed constitutional amendment on the election ballot and shall set forth the following description of the substance or subject matter of the proposed constitutional amendment:

"Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, relating to the notice requirement for local legislation; to authorize the publication of notice on the Internet.

"Proposed by Act ________."

This description shall be followed by the following language:

"Yes ( ) No ( )."

Constitutional Amendments

Elections

Local Laws

Notice, Legal

Advertising

Internet

Computers