Alabama 2025 Regular Session

Alabama House Bill HB402 Compare Versions

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

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1	1	HB402INTRODUCED
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3	3	HB402
4	4	UAM1GDX-1
5	5	By Representatives Travis, Crawford, Bolton, Starnes, Fincher,
6	6	McCampbell, Chestnut, Jackson
7	7	RFD: Ways and Means Education
8	8	First Read: 06-Mar-25
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14	14	6 UAM1GDX-1 02/19/2025 PMG (L)cr 2025-761
15	15	Page 1
16	16	First Read: 06-Mar-25
17	17	SYNOPSIS:
18	18	This bill would establish a formal process
19	19	requiring the Legislative Services Agency to complete a
20	20	Rural Impact Report if so requested by a legislator on
21	21	any bill pending before the Legislature.
22	22	This bill would specify the issues that must be
23	23	assessed in a Rural Impact Report, including the impact
24	24	on school systems, consequences to farmers and
25	25	agricultural businesses, broken down by legislative
26	26	districts and affected rural communities, and would
27	27	require the incorporation of data from experts and
28	28	rural stakeholders.
29	29	This bill would establish a time frame for
30	30	completing a report.
31	31	A BILL
32	32	TO BE ENTITLED
33	33	AN ACT
34	34	Relating to the Legislature; to require the Legislative
35	35	Services Agency to complete a Rural Impact Report on a bill,
36	36	if so requested, and would set parameters for the contents of
37	37	a report.
38	38	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
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66	66	28 HB402 INTRODUCED
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68	68	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
69	69	Section 1. This act shall be known as the Reviewing
70	70	Urban-Rural Asymmetries in Legislation (RURAL) Act.
71	71	Section 2. The purpose of this act is to ensure that
72	72	proposed legislation is evaluated for its potential effects on
73	73	rural communities, agricultural stakeholders, and rural school
74	74	districts before enactment, promoting informed decision-making
75	75	and transparency in the legislative process. Additionally,
76	76	this act provides comparative analysis between rural,
77	77	suburban, and urban districts to highlight disparities and
78	78	ensure balanced policy making.
79	79	Section 3. (a) Any member of the Legislature may submit
80	80	a formal request for a Rural Impact Report on any bill
81	81	introduced in a legislative session.
82	82	(b) Requests shall be submitted to the Legislative
83	83	Services Agency, which shall be responsible for conducting the
84	84	assessment.
85	85	Section 4. (a) A Rural Impact Report shall include all
86	86	of the following:
87	87	(1) An analysis of the bill's direct and indirect
88	88	effects on rural communities, including economic, social, and
89	89	regulatory impacts.
90	90	(2) A specific assessment of the potential consequences
91	91	for farmers and agricultural businesses.
92	92	(3) A localized breakdown of effects by legislative
93	93	district and affected rural communities.
94	94	(4) A comparative analysis of the bill's projected
95	95	impact on rural districts versus suburban and urban districts,
96	96	including any identified disparities or differential
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126	126	including any identified disparities or differential
127	127	consequences.
128	128	(5) An assessment of the bill's impact on rural school
129	129	districts, including, but not limited to, school funding and
130	130	budget allocations; student enrollment and demographic shifts;
131	131	access to educational resources, including technology and
132	132	extracurricular programs; teacher recruitment, retention, and
133	133	workforce stability; and potential for school closures or
134	134	consolidations due to legislative changes.
135	135	(6) Identification of potential benefits, costs, and
136	136	unintended consequences of the proposed legislation.
137	137	(b) Reports shall incorporate data from relevant
138	138	agencies, industry experts, education officials, and rural
139	139	stakeholders to ensure accuracy and comprehensiveness.
140	140	Section 5. (a) The Legislative Services Agency shall
141	141	endeavor to complete the Rural Impact Report within 30 days of
142	142	receiving a valid request.
143	143	(b) If additional time is needed due to data
144	144	limitations, the Legislative Services Agency shall notify the
145	145	requesting legislator in writing with an estimated completion
146	146	date.
147	147	Section 6. (a) Completed Rural Impact Reports shall be
148	148	made publicly available through the official website of the
149	149	Legislature.
150	150	(b) Copies shall also be provided to the requesting
151	151	legislator, relevant legislative committees, and rural
152	152	stakeholder organizations upon request.
153	153	Section 7. This act shall become effective on October
154	154	1, 2025.
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