[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6577742,"mediaKeyId","3102420-e629adb211c06dd372065959135e42b9","parentId",3102420,"title","Committee advances bill to require adult‑content filter on phones; effective date moved to Oct. 1","audioSeconds",328,"startMs",488000,"endMs",816000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3102420-e629adb211c06dd372065959135e42b9&start=488&end=816","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3102420-e629adb211c06dd372065959135e42b9/thumbnail_488000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6577742/Alabama/Committee-advances-bill-to-require-adultcontent-filter-on-phones-effective-date-moved-to-Oct-1","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6577742-547a01090068e6668084524eb97b86be/orig.mp4?Expires=1770658774&Signature=N4Bq-dS1fdSL08N5~RNTUQOmT3NgyrPf079~1PaG6Ky-FmS4dWfSFcC2f2jTdVPTxVAYiomGnDE1QNyWGMqE5tepEAIUpQISebm8qOPyI6sQdWZ2tv9mqEX9c8xnGHngHD8MR-NztVt95-pHpQGatdza~DMurC6y6sxW6YdzJpFi-0evCQ608tGIr0s~4osVBBQr~AE6ZUpcPpgJ4JcDu3m6yYgXPdVTNcajaZpcNQ2t6kJMELruhy3UTxV05dgjWVtFFhy38KAEwprBJ~ARY9uhN1~pUjfypOljilyLEBp3XvnWq4WZ-kMYJt403sXwgff9JYK3jH4dii0e4XESeA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Alabama House Sessions","date","2025-04-23T21:51:54.387Z","article","A House committee voted to report Senate Bill 186 as amended after discussion and public comment, moving the bill\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000to an Oct. 1 effective date.

Senator Chambless, who presented the measure to the committee, said the bill follows language already enacted in other states and that the filter would be implemented as a software update on phones. \"The filter is on the phone. It's a software update,\" Chambless said during the committee hearing, adding that the technology is already in use elsewhere.

The bill drew questions from committee members and public commenters about who would pay for or manufacture the technology and whether automated filters could block legitimate educational material. A committee member asked whether the filter might mark historical research, such as on slavery or the Holocaust, as obscene; Chambless replied that the filter is targeted at \"adult content\" but acknowledged no filter is 100 percent effective.

Public comment included concerns that the proposal represented government overreach and an argument that responsibility rests with parents. A commenter said, \"I think what the feeling is that it's the parent's responsibility,\" while others said stronger regulation was necessary to protect children.

The committee moved and seconded a motion to report the bill as amended. Members voted in favor; the committee recorded two abstentions and no recorded 'no' votes.

The bill as amended replaces a portion of the text on pages 5\u0000through\u00006 and sets the act\u0000to become effective Oct. 1. The sponsor said the change adjusts the bill's effective date and the committee packet includes the amendment.

The committee discussion noted the bill's similarity to measures passed in other states; Chambless said, \"This bill has been passed, and it's already active in Utah. So we're not doing anything new this time.\"

The committee report will advance the bill to the next legislative stage. The committee record shows the vote to report the bill as amended carried with two abstentions; no further committee actions were taken during the same hearing.

Ending: The committee concluded its public hearing on SB 186 and advanced the measure to the next step in the process.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Alabama House Commerce and Small Business Committee","oneSentenceSummary","A House committee voted to report Senate Bill 186 as amended after a public hearing and committee discussion, setting the measure's effective date for Oct. 1 and directing it to the next legislative stage.","taxTitle","House, Alabama Legislative Sessions, Alabama","taxId",62182,"location","Alabama","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6577731,"Committee approves changes to real estate rules, raises bond cap to $5,000",163,805000,968000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3102420-e629adb211c06dd372065959135e42b9&start=805&end=968","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3102420-e629adb211c06dd372065959135e42b9/thumbnail_805000.jpg","/articles/6577731/Alabama/Committee-approves-changes-to-real-estate-rules-raises-bond-cap-to-5000","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6577731-27eb3b489c3109c31e97b2f251961a18/orig.mp4?Expires=1770658774&Signature=Cd7cSGiaQOpQ8sKGsz1gY3AU5W-QCsq1izfTsY0VIa21CMLULbwYllPy1Wa9MN7uOFHC8nKut1chj2GNNcoeV7bHdnREnEhn1TPll~H1xixGaNWsXQBV0hsMEkuqWY1dxCu-MQL8gAhGEm1GCztxWqPS9FNsDBnaEVBvxOfKOOTZsCi3kjxllWExUOahCUpoB6yDWI8iMaJbkx7YHTV9g4TLLQXFko3D7mCkJTIOMh7A9wfUI3OdZ-gFv6YCl5LYYgqvnjG~4k0B8vly994vdkLZHCmjbZJJjVfiOnP9hQbYBMkkab0sIBx4Fy8J2FeEFYvcEi9K547V7FGehLiOYA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The committee approved Senate Bill 212, the companion to House Bill 382, which would update regulations governing real estate practice and the state real estate commission's enforcement options.

Senator Paulson presented the bill and an amendment that narrows residential property language and clarifies that teams may operate under the same broker without separate licensing fees; brokers must maintain records of who is operating as a team but are not required to file that paperwork with the commission. The bill also increases the maximum cap on the commission's bond from $2,500 to $5,000 to give the commission more flexibility to impose fines instead of resorting to license suspension.

A motion to pass the bill was made and seconded; the committee voted in favor with no recorded opposition in the transcript. The sponsor said the amendment addressed concerns raised by the Real Estate Commission and realtor stakeholders.

Ending: The committee thanked the presenter and moved the companion bills forward.","A committee approved Senate Bill 212 (companion to House Bill 382) to update several real estate rules, including allowing e‑payments for failed payments, clarifying team/branch office operations, and raising the regulatory bond cap from $2,500 to $5,000.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6577737,"Bill to restrict local authority to require engineers on many single‑family plans draws strong opposition at public hearing",0,944000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3102420-e629adb211c06dd372065959135e42b9&start=944&end=944","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3102420-e629adb211c06dd372065959135e42b9/thumbnail_944000.jpg","/articles/6577737/Alabama/Bill-to-restrict-local-authority-to-require-engineers-on-many-singlefamily-plans-draws-strong-opposition-at-public-hearing","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6577737-bd1205902e13b39d9aa4ab968c0cce65/orig.mp4?Expires=1770658774&Signature=Mo5sk5J00RAkGmRlPfspJBIo6EysRhJt1fgbFOdlxWare6Gjo5-HnkIZZCAGEQFOMMs6OKtY~sMfIbAavrf1Bui54KAQpit8~WW45q6mmdtkCdt0sRdpyApCYfv8bIoaUtww8Vb-AcvFE8QIYXzYOMjk77z6zmDFKZd1iFvkVYrMk3kUEstcfiI~FklcdXz0Z6S37xfn8ynFNbm3N5YIlA~9uBv0HnIybDuyfusr9uZ3QcFb1q8af17Ge~VcH~hcyQ8fdV1DblKZ0coKmb061M0gUxxCP4opqpALb2W7E6Em0DxhmwTyG3sso6UzJsUf~fGJyZTix77o4wCH5ieEeQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A House committee held a public hearing on House Bill 566, a proposal that would prohibit counties and municipalities from requiring a registered architect or professional engineer to approve plans for single‑family residences under three stories tall (with a municipal exception for Baldwin County). Witnesses at the hearing urged the committee to reject the bill or to refine it, saying local building officials need discretion to require engineering reviews in specific circumstances.

The bill's sponsor (name not specified in the transcript) said the measure is intended to lower costs and regulatory burdens on homebuilders. Proponents, including Jeremy Walker of the Alabama Association of Realtors, argued local over‑regulation increases home prices. \"We believe this is part of a broader problem... that is directly leading to higher home prices,\" Walker said, and urged further dialogue during the off season rather than immediate passage.

Opponents focused on public safety and local conditions that can make engineering oversight necessary. Greg Robinson, a structural engineer with more than 40 years' experience, told the committee that the International Residential Code covers most single‑family construction but that local building officials still need the ability to request engineer or architect input for unique site conditions such as beachfront erosion, wave impact, deep fill, or troublesome soils. \"There are unique circumstances that do need to be addressed by the building official who will call on structural engineers and the architects to do that,\" Robinson said.

Emily Holly, a licensed structural engineer and board member of the Structural Engineers Association of Alabama, described the bill as a removal of local authority and said that could endanger lives. \"This is a matter of life safety,\" Holly said, and asked the committee not to strip authorities having jurisdiction of the right to require engineering for residential structures when warranted.

Andy Hawthorne, a building official representing the ICC Alabama Gulf Coast chapter, cited the International Residential Code's wind‑speed threshold and a code section that requires a design professional when ultimate design wind speed equals or exceeds 40 mph. Hawthorne said much of the Gulf Coast and several counties exceed that threshold and rely on professionals for life‑safety design. He told the committee, \"A design professional is required for wind design when the ultimate design wind speed equals or exceeds a 40 miles an hour.\" He also said the code citation is in the 2024 edition of the residential code.

Witnesses and members discussed the bill's geographic carve‑out: the draft exempts municipal requirements in Baldwin County but not the Baldwin County Commission's own county‑level authority. Committee members repeatedly asked why Baldwin County cities were treated differently from Mobile County municipalities and sought clarification on whether \"construction plans\" in the bill includes site plans (witnesses said it does not). Members also discussed whether the bill would prevent jurisdictions from requiring an engineer when a site investigation or special foundation is necessary; witnesses said it would not stop private or voluntary use of engineers, but would remove a jurisdiction's ability to require them in many cases.

A Realtor witness acknowledged successful programs in coastal counties to reduce insurance costs and manage storm risk, but said those successes should be addressed on a case‑by‑case basis rather than by a statewide mandate. The bill's proponents and opponents both urged further study and dialogue; several speakers said the legislative calendar made immediate passage unlikely and asked for off‑season conversations.

The committee did not take a final vote on the bill during the public hearing; the chair closed the hearing and adjourned the meeting.

Ending: The public hearing on HB 566 concluded with no immediate committee vote; witnesses urged preserving local authority for site‑specific engineering requirements.","House committee held a lengthy public hearing on a bill that would prohibit counties and municipalities from requiring registered architects or professional engineers on plans for most single‑family homes under three stories, excluding municipal plans in Baldwin County. Engineers, building officials and association representatives said the change","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee advances bill to require adult‑content filter on phones; effective date moved to Oct. 1

Committee approves changes to real estate rules, raises bond cap to $5,000

Bill to restrict local authority to require engineers on many single‑family plans draws strong opposition at public hearing