Votes at a glance: Senate clears dozens of House bills, many by unanimous or wide margins

During a lengthy legislative session the Alabama Senate approved a slate of House bills on a range of topics from a new Alabama STEM Council to local county measures and consumer protections. Many bills were adopted with committee amendments and several passed unanimously or by wide margins.

Key votes recorded on the floor included: - House Bill 365 (Alabama STEM Council): Committee amendment adopted; final passage by voice/previous roll (recorded 34‑0). The bill codifies the executive STEM effort and adjusts language for the new workforce department. (Floor: sponsor/committee; amendment adopted.) - House Bill 543 (small business incentives): Final passage recorded 34‑0; sponsors said the measure helps small businesses statewide. - House Bill 357 (tobacco products): Committee amendment refined definitions and compliance timing; final passage recorded 24‑6. - House Bill 164 (small estates): Committee amendment adopted; final passage recorded 32‑0. - House Bill 166 (K–12 school policy, companion to a Senate bill restricting some student phone uses): Final passage recorded 30‑2; floor amendment offered and defeated prior to final passage. - A series of local and administrative House bills passed by margins recorded on the floor (examples below). Several committee amendments were adopted before final passage.

Votes at a glance (selected bills from the transcript and outcomes reported on the floor): - HB 365 (STEM Council) — committee amendment adopted; final passage (34‑0). - HB 543 (small business incentive) — final passage (34‑0). - HB 357 (tobacco/heated tobacco products) — committee amendment adopted; final passage (24‑6). - HB 164 (small estates forms/process) — committee amendment adopted; final passage (32‑0). - HB 166 (school cell‑phone rules companion) — amendment defeated on long roll; final passage (30‑2). - HB 165 (state holidays) — final passage (13‑5 on recorded roll used for the special order calendar). - HB 506 (off‑road vehicles; fire department allowances) — final passage (28‑0). - HB 505 (Alabama tax tribunal timing) — final passage (28‑0). - HB 528 (consumer protection/price gouging) — final passage (28‑0). - HB 90/91 (municipal and county housing authorities) — committee amendment adopted on HB 91; final passage (28‑0 each). - HB 493 (child advocacy centers) — final passage (28‑0). - HB 384 (food enrichment/niacin) — final passage (28‑0). - HB 148 (motor vehicles/nonresident insurance requirement) — carried over and later passed (30‑0 when called up). - HB 509 (game breeder licenses, amended with Conservation agreement) — committee amendment adopted; final passage (30‑0). - HB 137 (warrants/interpreter rules) — final passage (recorded in transcript as passed). - HB 207 (Office of Information Technology departmental) — final passage (recorded as passed). - HB 45 (Medicaid coverage for particular colorectal screening tests; effective date edited by amendment) — committee amendment adopted; final passage (31‑0 as amended). - HB 416 (sudden cardiac arrest/AED funding in schools) — final passage (31‑0). - A block of local bills (county‑level taxes, compensation changes, corporate boundary changes, and others) was placed on a special order calendar and mostly adopted by recorded roll calls; committee amendments were adopted where noted on the floor.

Many measures the Senate approved were either routine committee reports, technical fixes or local bills that originate in the House. Committee chairs moved amendments that were generally adopted by unanimous consent or recorded roll prior to final passage.

What to watch next: Several local bills were placed on a special order calendar for the chamber; sponsors said some measures may still face executive review before final enactment. Where the House language differs from the Senate — as in the archives board matter described in a separate report — conferees will be required to negotiate.