HB478ENROLLED Page 0 HB478 ILE8666-2 By Representative Hammett (N & P) RFD: Local Legislation First Read: 23-Apr-24 1 2 3 4 5 HB478 Enrolled Page 1 First Read: 23-Apr-24 Enrolled, An Act, Relating to Covington County; to provide for a booking fee to be imposed on each person booked into the Covington County Detention Center and subsequently convicted of a crime; to provide for the collection of the booking fee; and to provide for the distribution of the revenues derived from the booking fee. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA: Section 1. In Covington County, a booking fee in the amount of thirty dollars ($30) shall be assessed against and collected from each person booked or incarcerated in the Covington County Detention Center as a county inmate and subsequently convicted. The fee assessed pursuant to this act shall be in addition to any fines, court costs, or other charges imposed. The fee shall not apply to a defendant or inmate housed in the detention center on behalf of a municipality. Section 2. The booking fee imposed by this act shall be assessed against a defendant upon conviction by a court of law where the defendant is convicted. The clerk of the court shall enter the amount of the fee as provided in this act on the docket sheet and shall collect the fee in the same manner and the same time as court costs, except the sheriff may collect the fee pursuant to Section 5. The clerk of the court shall notify the sheriff monthly of the booking fees imposed against defendants during the prior month. Section 3. The revenues derived from the booking fee 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 HB478 Enrolled Page 2 Section 3. The revenues derived from the booking fee shall be submitted to the Covington County Sheriff's Department Law Enforcement Fund to be used by the Sheriff of Covington County for jail operations including, but not limited to, training fees, salaries, equipment, jail operational expenses, or other law enforcement uses as determined by the sheriff to best meet the needs of his or her agency. Section 4. In any case where the booking fee provided by this act is not paid or withheld pursuant to Section 5, the district attorney of the county may assist in the collection of the fees in the same manner as court-ordered monies. In addition, the sheriff may contract for the collection of the fees and pay a portion of the fees as a cost for collection. Section 5. Upon receipt of notice of assessment of the booking fee against a defendant, the sheriff may withhold funds equal to the amount of the booking fee from any funds held while a person is incarcerated in the Covington County Detention Center and those funds may be applied toward any assessment of a booking fee pursuant to this act. The sheriff shall provide notice monthly to the clerk of the court of the booking fees withheld from defendants during the prior month. Section 6. Any revenues derived from this act shall be in addition to other funding sources for the Covington County Detention Center and the Covington County Sheriff's Department and shall not reduce or replace any funding from any other sources. Section 7. This act shall become effective on the first day of the first month following the ratification of an 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 HB478 Enrolled Page 3 day of the first month following the ratification of an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 2022, proposed at the 2024 Regular Session, authorizing the Legislature to provide for additional court costs in Covington County and to provide for the distribution of the proceeds. 57 58 59 60 HB478 Enrolled Page 4 provide for the distribution of the proceeds. ________________________________________________ Speaker of the House of Representatives ________________________________________________ President and Presiding Officer of the Senate House of Representatives I hereby certify that the within Act originated in and was passed by the House 30-Apr-24. John Treadwell Clerk Senate 09-May-24 Passed 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91