MONTGOMERY — The Senate Judiciary Committee passed legislation on Wednesday expanding civil and criminal immunity for law enforcement officers in Alabama.
House Bill 202 (HB202) by State Rep. Rex Reynolds (R-Huntsville) would repeal the current laws on police immunity and establish that a law enforcement officer shall be immune from any claim that seeks to impose civil liability on the officer for conduct performed within the officer's discretionary authority.
The bill creates heightened requirements for a plaintiff to prove that an officer acted outside their authority and new legal proceedings and hearings for the plaintiff to bring a complaint. It also creates additional immunity hearings for officers who are accused of misconduct. The bill's provisions cover both civil and criminal immunity for police.
The bill passed the House by a 75-26 margin on March 6. The bill received three minor amendments in committee on Wednesday. It will still have to pass both the Senate and the House in the four remaining legislative days in the 2025 session.
"I think we've done a good job clarifying when immunity is justified and when it's not related to the bill," Reynolds said.
Democrats opposed the bill on the committee.
"It's a green light, like I said, to kill black folks. This right here opens the green light for them to do anything in their discretion. They can walk in here right now, and in their discretion, they can look at me and say, 'Hey, he looks like a threat to me.' And bam, bust a cap on me," State Sen. Rodger Smitherman (D-Birmingham) said during the committee meeting.
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