Alabama 2025 Regular Session

Alabama House Bill HB137 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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1	1	HB137INTRODUCED
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3	3	HB137
4	4	J723YNF-1
5	5	By Representatives Reynolds, Starnes, Sells, Bedsole, Moore
6	6	(P), Treadaway, Wood (R), Pettus, Rigsby
7	7	RFD: Judiciary
8	8	First Read: 04-Feb-25
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14	14	6 J723YNF-1 02/03/2025 PMG (L)PMG 2024-3106
15	15	Page 1
16	16	First Read: 04-Feb-25
17	17	SYNOPSIS:
18	18	Under existing law, the Attorney General may
19	19	submit an application to a circuit court judge to
20	20	intercept any wire or electronic communication if there
21	21	is probable cause to believe an individual is
22	22	committing, has committed, or is about to commit
23	23	certain felony drug offenses. The request to intercept
24	24	a wire or electronic communication is initiated by an
25	25	investigative officer of the Alabama State Law
26	26	Enforcement Agency or the Attorney General's office.
27	27	This bill would allow an interpreter to monitor
28	28	a wire or electronic communication in certain
29	29	circumstances.
30	30	In 2022, the Legislature enacted the Agent Billy
31	31	Clardy III Act which created a state wiretapping
32	32	program. As part of that law, the entire act is set to
33	33	repeal on February 1, 2026.
34	34	This act would remove the repealer language,
35	35	thereby keeping the act in effect indefinitely.
36	36	A BILL
37	37	TO BE ENTITLED
38	38	AN ACT
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66	66	28 HB137 INTRODUCED
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68	68	Relating to wiretaps; to amend Sections 20-2B-1 and
69	69	20-2B-12, Code of Alabama 1975, and to add Section 20-2B-2.1
70	70	to the Code of Alabama 1975, to allow interpreters to monitor
71	71	a wire or electronic communication in certain circumstances;
72	72	and to repeal Section 20-2B-12, Code of Alabama 1975, thereby
73	73	keeping the act in effect indefinitely.
74	74	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
75	75	Section 1. Sections 20-2B-1 and 20-2B-12, Code of
76	76	Alabama 1975, are amended to read as follows:
77	77	"§20-2B-1
78	78	(a) This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the
79	79	Agent Billy Clardy III Act.
80	80	(b) For the purposes of this chapter, the following
81	81	terms have the following meanings:
82	82	(1) AGENCY. Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency.
83	83	(2) AGGRIEVED INDIVIDUAL. An individual who was a party
84	84	to an intercepted wire or electronic communication or an
85	85	individual against whom the interception was directed.
86	86	(3) ATTORNEY GENERAL. The Attorney General of the State
87	87	of Alabama or his or her designee.
88	88	(4) COMMUNICATION COMMON CARRIER. The term as defined
89	89	in 47 U.S.C. § 153(11).
90	90	(5) COMMUNICATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER. A provider of
91	91	communication service as defined in Section 37-2A-2.
92	92	(6) CONTENTS. When used with respect to a wire or
93	93	electronic communication, any information concerning the
94	94	identity of the parties to the communication or the existence,
95	95	substance, purport, or meaning of that communication.
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125	125	substance, purport, or meaning of that communication.
126	126	(7) ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION. Any transfer of an
127	127	electronic or other signal, including any fax signal, computer
128	128	generated signal, other similar signal, or scrambled or
129	129	encrypted signal transferred via wire, radio, electromagnetic,
130	130	photoelectric, or photo optical system from one party to
131	131	another in which the involved parties may reasonably expect
132	132	the communication to be private.
133	133	(8) ELECTRONIC, MECHANICAL, OR OTHER DEVICE. A device
134	134	or apparatus primarily designed or used for the nonconsensual
135	135	interception of wire or electronic communications.
136	136	(9) FOREIGN LANGUAGE. Any language not recognized as
137	137	the official language of this state as provided in Section
138	138	36.01 of the Constitution of Alabama of 2022.
139	139	(9)(10) INTERCEPT. The aural or other acquisition of
140	140	the contents of a wire or electronic communication through the
141	141	use of an electronic, mechanical, or other device.
142	142	(11) INTERPRETIVE SERVICES. Assistance in interpreting
143	143	intercepted wire or electronic communications that contain
144	144	coded language or foreign language and in minimizing the
145	145	interception of communications that are not subject to
146	146	interception under this chapter.
147	147	(10)(12) INVESTIGATIVE OFFICER. A special agent of the
148	148	agency, a special agent of the Attorney General's office, or
149	149	any other law enforcement officer of this state designated by
150	150	the secretary of the agency who meets guidelines established
151	151	by the secretary and who has successfully completed a training
152	152	course approved by the Attorney General on the legal and
153	153	technical aspects of the interception and use of wire or
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183	183	technical aspects of the interception and use of wire or
184	184	electronic communications.
185	185	(11)(13) JUDGE OF COMPETENT JURISDICTION. A circuit
186	186	court judge in the county where the intercept is expected to
187	187	take place or a circuit court judge designated by the Chief
188	188	Justice of the Supreme Court or by the Alabama Supreme Court
189	189	to hear intercept applications or where the interception takes
190	190	place.
191	191	(14) PERSON. An individual, firm, copartnership,
192	192	association, or corporation.
193	193	(12)(15) PROSECUTOR. A district attorney or his or her
194	194	designee.
195	195	(16) QUALIFIED INTERPRETER. An individual who is
196	196	qualified, through training or experience satisfactory to the
197	197	secretary, to interpret coded language or a foreign language
198	198	and who is approved by the secretary to provide interpretive
199	199	services for an intercept pursuant to Section 20-2B-2.1.
200	200	(13)(17) SECRETARY. The Secretary of the Alabama State
201	201	Law Enforcement Agency or his or her designee.
202	202	(14)(18) WIRE COMMUNICATION. A communication made in
203	203	whole or in part through the use of facilities for the
204	204	transmission of communications by the aid of wire, cable, or
205	205	other like connection between the point of origin and the
206	206	point of reception furnished or operated by an individual
207	207	engaged as a communication common carrier or communications
208	208	service provider in providing or operating the facilities for
209	209	the transmission of communications."
210	210	"§20-2B-12
211	211	(a) An individual whose wire or electronic
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241	241	(a) An individual whose wire or electronic
242	242	communication is intercepted, disclosed, or used in violation
243	243	of this chapter shall have a civil cause of action against any
244	244	individual who person that intercepts, discloses, or uses, or
245	245	procures another individual person to intercept, disclose, or
246	246	use, the communication, and is entitled to may recover from
247	247	the individual or entity which person or persons that engaged
248	248	in the violation any of the following:
249	249	(1) Actual damages.
250	250	(2) Punitive damages.
251	251	(3) Reasonable attorney's fees and other litigation
252	252	costs reasonably incurred.
253	253	(b) This section does not apply to any of the following
254	254	individuals if acting in a reasonable manner pursuant to this
255	255	chapter:
256	256	(1) An operator of a switchboard, or an officer,
257	257	employee, or agent of a communication common carrier or a
258	258	communications service provider whose facilities are used in
259	259	the transmission of a wire communication, who intercepts a
260	260	communication, or who discloses or uses an intercepted
261	261	communication in the normal course of employment while engaged
262	262	in an activity that is a necessary incident to the rendition
263	263	of service or to the protection of the rights or property of
264	264	the carrier of the communication.
265	265	(2) An officer, employee, or agent of a communication
266	266	common carrier or communications service provider who employs
267	267	or uses any equipment or device that may be attached to any
268	268	telephonic equipment of any subscriber which permits the
269	269	interception and recording of any telephonic communications
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299	299	interception and recording of any telephonic communications
300	300	solely for the purposes of business service improvements.
301	301	(3) An officer, employee, or agent of a communication
302	302	common carrier or communications service provider who provides
303	303	information, facilities, or technical assistance to an
304	304	investigative officer who is authorized as provided by this
305	305	chapter to intercept a wire or electronic communication.
306	306	(4) An individual acting under authority of law who
307	307	intercepts a wire or electronic communication if the
308	308	individual is a party to the communication, or if one of the
309	309	parties to the communication has given prior consent to the
310	310	interception.
311	311	(5) An individual not acting under authority of law who
312	312	intercepts a wire or electronic communication if the
313	313	individual is a party to the communication, or if one of the
314	314	parties to the communication has given prior consent to the
315	315	interception, unless the communication is intercepted for the
316	316	purpose of committing any criminal or tortious act in
317	317	violation of the Constitution or laws of the United States or
318	318	of this state or for the purpose of committing any other
319	319	injurious act.
320	320	(c) A good faith reliance on a court order is a
321	321	complete defense to any civil cause of action brought under
322	322	this chapter."
323	323	Section 2. Section 20-2B-2.1 is added to the Code of
324	324	Alabama 1975, to read as follows:
325	325	§20-2B-2.1
326	326	(a) Subject to the approval of the secretary, an
327	327	intercept authorized pursuant to this chapter may be conducted
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357	357	intercept authorized pursuant to this chapter may be conducted
358	358	with the aid of interpretive services in the following
359	359	circumstances:
360	360	(1) In anticipation of intercepting a wire or
361	361	electronic communication using coded language or a foreign
362	362	language, one or more qualified interpreters may be present
363	363	during the intercept, as long as an investigative officer is
364	364	also present.
365	365	(2) If an intercepted communication uses coded language
366	366	or a foreign language and a qualified interpreter is not
367	367	available during the intercept, one or more qualified
368	368	interpreters may provide interpretive services as soon as
369	369	practicable after the intercept.
370	370	(b) Before providing interpretive services, a qualified
371	371	interpreter who is not a law enforcement officer of this state
372	372	shall take an oath that he or she will provide a true
373	373	interpretation in an understandable manner to the best of his
374	374	or her skill or judgment.
375	375	(c) The state may enter into contracts for interpretive
376	376	services pursuant to this chapter.
377	377	Section 3. Section 20-2B-16, Code of Alabama 1975,
378	378	which provides for the repeal of the Agent Billy Clardy III
379	379	Act, which creates a state wiretap program, on February 1,
380	380	2026, is repealed.
381	381	Section 4. This act shall become effective on June 1,
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