MONTGOMERY – Members of the House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee passed legislation on Wednesday setting minimum staffing standards for law enforcement agencies in Montgomery and Huntsville.

The bill now proceeds to the full House with four days left in the 2026 session. It passed the Senate on Tuesday.

The bill by State Sen. Will Barfoot (R-Pike Road) would provide minimum staffing requirements for Class 3 municipal law enforcement agencies. Alabama has two Class 3 cities, Montgomery and Huntsville. Most of the discussion about the bill has centered around Montgomery. 

The requirements would include a minimum of 1.9 full-time law enforcement officers per 1,000 residents of the municipality. The bill would establish a five-year compliance period for municipalities not in compliance on the effective date of the act. During this compliance period, the municipality would be required to meet certain goals and increase staffing. The bill would provide that if a municipality fails to meet certain staffing requirements, the Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency would be authorized to assume oversight of the municipal law enforcement agency. The bill would authorize the Attorney General to seek to recover any costs incurred by the state in overseeing a municipal law enforcement agency. 

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said on X on Wednesday, “Montgomery's city leaders have had every opportunity to fix their police staffing crisis. They haven't. Now they're actively fighting the people trying to help.”

“If you won't prioritize public safety, the state is ready,” he added. “Pass SB 298. Public safety isn't optional.”

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