Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey and Republican lawmakers have said combatting crime and supporting law enforcement will be priorities during the legislative session that starts Tuesday.
A Democratic lawmaker has a bill that he said will promote the same goals.
Rep. Chris England of Tuscaloosa has proposed a bill to impose a criminal penalty for a person who fails to disclose to police when asked if they are carrying a handgun concealed under their clothes or in a vehicle.
“I think it falls right in line with the stated mission of trying to make our streets and our cities more safe but also supporting law enforcement as well,” England said.
England’s bill will get some early attention from lawmakers.
It is on the agenda for the first meeting of the House Judiciary Committee, which meets Wednesday at 1:30 p.m.
The law already requires disclosing the possession of concealed weapons when police ask.
“Any person who knowingly possesses a pistol or firearm concealed on or about his or her person or in a vehicle occupied by the person, and who is asked by a law enforcement officer operating in the line or scope of his or her official duties whether he or she is armed with a concealed pistol or firearm, shall immediately inform the law enforcement officer that the person is in possession of a pistol or firearm,” the law says.
That requirement was part of a bill passed in 2022 that repealed the requirement for a permit to carry a pistol concealed or in a vehicle.
But the bill, which the Republican-led Legislature passed over opposition from the Alabama Sheriffs Association, some others in law enforcement, and most Democratic lawmakers, included no penalty for failing to inform police about a concealed weapon.
The Alabama attorney general’s office issued an opinion in 2023 that no penalty could be enforced for violating the disclosure requirement.
England’s bill would make it a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $6,000, for a person to lie to police about having a concealed gun.
“My bill seeks to fix that or remedy that problem that was created by adding a penalty,” England said.
“If we’re all focused this session on dealing with crime and also supporting law enforcement, one of the main ways to support law enforcement, especially those that are on patrol, is to require those that are carrying pistols to let them know when they are approached and are given a lawful request to do so.”
The legislative session starts Tuesday at noon. Ivey will give her State of the State address Tuesday at 6 p.m. The governor said she will talk about efforts to combat crime and support police during her speech.
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