MONTGOMERY — A vote on a bill requiring law enforcement agencies to submit officer counts to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) didn’t happen on Tuesday.
The bill passed the House unanimously in February.
The bill by State Rep. Juandalynn Givan (D-Birmingham) would require each state, county and municipal law enforcement agency to submit a form to be developed by ALEA, giving an account of every sworn law enforcement officer under its employ. After receiving the report, the Alabama Justice Information Commission will share the information with ALEA and the attorney general's office. ALEA will then publish the results on its website.
State Sen. Rodger Smitherman (D-Birmingham) requested the bill be carried over at the chair's call after it was on the Senate calendar on Tuesday. There are only two legislative days left in the session.
Givan is challenging Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin in the city’s 2025 mayoral election. Smitherman’s daughter, Crystal Smitherman, is on the Birmingham City Council.
Givan has been critical of Woodfin regarding reported police shortages in the Birmingham Police Department.
Under the bill, any agency that fails to submit an annual report will be subject to a $1,000 fine for every 30 days of noncompliance. If an officer or agent of any agency is found guilty of falsifying or intentionally refusing to file a report, they would be subject to a misdemeanor charge and a fine between $100 and $10,000.
Any agency that does not submit the required report will also be unable to participate in any grant program administered by the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs.
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