The Alabama Legislature concluded its fifteenth legislative day on Thursday before adjourning for spring break.  This week's highlight was a rare joint meeting of the Legislature which was called to honor Oscar winner and Montgomery native Octavia Spencer for her role in the recent movie "The Help".  Unlike a joint session which is called to conduct normal legislative business, a joint meeting is called for informational purposes only and does not count as a legislative day. 

The House and Senate will return on April 3 for its sixteenth legislative day. There will not be a Legislative Alert distributed next week.

Senator Gerald Allen (R-Tuscaloosa) and Representative Mike Hill (R-Columbiana) introduced the HBAA-backed lodging tax legislation on Thursday.  The bills (SB 446/HB 591) are designed to clarify that lodging taxes do not apply to single/multifamily rentals with a written lease agreement with a term of thirty (30) continuous days or more.

Several communities have been applying the lodging tax to multifamily rentals with short duration leases under the claim that such renters are transient in nature.  This interpretation is contrary to the intent of the law which permits lodging taxes as a way to capture revenue from short term visitors to a community via lodging taxes applied to their hotel/motel statement.   

The HBAA will be working with the bill sponsors to get the bills on the committee calendars in both chambers at the earliest opportunity.

Senator Bryan Taylor (R-Prattville) was successful in passing SB 336 this week.  The bill, promoted by State Fire Marshal Ed Paulk, is designed to create a special class of sprinkler installers that are limited to potable water systems only.  To qualify, the Potable Water Single Family Dwelling Fire Protection Sprinkler Contractor would have to be a Master Plumber who has completed training provided by the Fire Marshal's office and passed a competency test.  The fee for the license is legislatively set at $100.

The Senate Governmental Affairs Committee inserted language to clarify that nothing in the bill was intended to authorize the Fire Marshal to require the installation of fire sprinklers in single family residential dwellings.

The HBAA has worked closely with Marshal Paulk to support efforts to lower the cost of residential fire sprinkler installation.   

HBAA, as part of a larger business coalition, expects that, when the Legislature returns from spring break, a bill to address revisions to last year's immigration bill will be introduced. The HBAA has recommended changes that would help alleviate some of the negative impacts the law has had on the construction industry.