The 2013 regular session of the Alabama Legislature has been marred by frequent slow-downs due to protests over controversial legislation such as the Alabama Accountability Act. These slow-downs have doomed countless bills that were important to the state and/or to industry groups across the board. Many bills that were considered non-controversial were never able to get assigned to a calendar for legislative action. With only three legislative days remaining, it is clear, that with a few exceptions, the only legislation likely to pass during this session are priorities of the legislative leadership and non-controversial local bills. In the plus column, a number of bills that would have been detrimental to the home building and light commercial industries will suffer the same fate.

The HBAA and the Alabama Housing Finance Authority (AHFA) pulled out all the stops in a last ditch effort to move House Bill 651, sponsored by Rep. Mike Hill (R-Columbiana). Despite being placed on the calendar by Rep. Mary Sue McClurkin (R-Indian Springs), the measure failed to come up for debate this week. The bill was slated to be number 11 on the House calendar; however, action in the House ground to a snail's pace on Tuesday over changes to the Alabama Accountability Act. The House adjourned at 10:45 pm after completing just three bills on the calendar. There remained an outside chance that the HBAA could get the bill on the calendar for the following Tuesday, but the House and Senate leadership agreed not to accept bills originating in the others house after yesterday. That ends any hope of a legislative fix for 2013.

Unless the U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) reverses their recent adverse ruling that states they no longer will be authorizing down-payment assistance under its FHA programs, those programs will end in Alabama in 30 days. These programs are aimed at low-moderate income families and some 16,000 have been issued since the inception of the program. The HBAA will be working closely with AHFA and the Congressional delegation to encourage HUD to change its decision or provide Alabama with a waiver.

The HBAA would like to thank Representatives Mike Hill, Mary Sue McClurkin, Mac McCutcheon, and Speaker Mike Hubbard for all their efforts on this legislation and their continuing support of the home building industry.

HBAA was successful in its effort to block a bill that would have given large commercial contractors the ability to avoid bidding public projects. Promoted by the Associated Builders and Contractors, SB 289 would have blocked many small general contractors and subcontractors from being able to have the chance to bid on projects. The agreement between the House and Senate leadership concerning transmitting legislation between the chambers ensures the measure will not come up this session. The HBAA is proud to count among its members many of these small commercial contractors/subcontractors and works to protect their interests in the legislative and regulatory arenas.