HBAA Legislative Alert
Legislature Returns/Mr. Strange Goes to Washington
The Alabama Legislature convened this week with the usual pomp and circumstance of the first week and the annual State of the State address by Governor Bentley.  Though little gets done in the first week outside of committee meetings and first readings, the legislature appears to have a busy session in store if the number of bills introduced so far is any indication.  The House has introduced 184 bills thus far and the Senate has introduced 167.  The HBAA-backed legislation that makes revisions to the Home Builders Licensure Board law will be introduced on Thursday of next week. 

News from the Statehouse took a back seat to history as Jeff Sessions was confirmed as the first United States Attorney General from the state of Alabama.  Hours later, Governor Bentley announced his appointment of Luther Strange as his replacement in the Senate. 

Governor Bentley will make news again in the coming days as he names a new Attorney General for Alabama.  Alice Martin has been named interim Attorney General until the Governor makes his announcement.  In addition to consideration of Alice Martin for the permanent position, other names being rumored for consideration are Senator Cam Ward, Senator Tom Whatley, Marshall County DA Steve Marshall and Alabama Board of Education member Mary Scott Hunter.  
Sprinkler Bill to be Rescheduled for Next Committee Meeting
House Bill 66 by Rep. Tommy Hanes (R) of Jackson County had been scheduled for committee action this week, but it was delayed when the Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee was cancelled at the last minute.  The committee will be rescheduled for the coming week. 

Under the provisions of Rep. Hanes' bill, plumbers will be eligible to take training to become certified to install sprinklers in residential structures.   This is the same bill that has come forward in each of the last few sessions only to be squashed by existing sprinkler installation companies.  The HBAA is supportive of the voluntary nature of the bill as well as its requirement that the State Fire Marshal collect and publish data on structural fires, including the age of the structure, cause of the fire, code the structure was built to and materials used in the construction, among other data.  Such data will be beneficial in correctly identifying the susceptibility of homes to fire over a broader spectrum of time.  
LEGISLATIVE RECEPTION RETURNS TO ARCHIVES
The HBAA Legislative Reception will once again be held at the Alabama Department of Archives and History on Tuesday, February 21, 2017 at 5:15pm.  Join us as members from around the state descend on Montgomery to meet and greet members of Alabama's Legislature and other state officials.  
You have been subscribed to the HBAA Legislative Alert because you are a member of the Home Builders Association of Alabama. The Alert is published every Friday following a legislative week. If you have any questions regarding this email please contact Jason Reid at (800) 745-4222.
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