Rules Chairman Jabo Waggoner (R-Vestavia Hills) placed HB 198, the Alabama Assistance and Service Animal Integrity in Housing Act, on the Senate Special Order Calendar last Tuesday, March 6^th.

Senator Tom Whatley (R-Auburn) explained the bill, as well as several amendments, to his colleagues. As Senator Whatley described, HB 198 does two things: 1) it codifies federal law, allowing landlords to request documentation of a disability or the need for an assistance animal in certain situations, and 2) it creates a penalty for misrepresenting the need for a service or assistance animal and a penalty for misrepresenting an animal as a service or assistance animal.

As amended, the penalty for a first-time offense is either a civil fine or a class C misdemeanor, at the discretion of a judge, and, for second or subsequent offenses, a violator will be charged with a class B misdemeanor.

Senator Whatley addressed several questions that arose from the floor, and, after being briefly tabled to discuss concerns with Senator Brewbaker (R-Montgomery) and Senator Coleman-Madison (D-Birmingham), the bill passed the Senate with a vote of 22 to 2.

Since the bill was amended in the Senate, it had to go back to the House of Representatives for a vote on the bill as amended. Only a short time after passing the Senate, Representative Matt Fridy (R-Montevallo), HB 198’s sponsor, brought the bill up on the House floor. Representative Fridy quickly explained the amendment to his fellow House members, who concurred with the amendment, passing HB 198 with a vote of 97 to 0, and 1 abstention. You can view the vote here.

HB 198 now goes to Governor Kay Ivey for her signature. Alabama REALTORS® extends its sincere appreciation to Representative Matt Fridy, Representative Joe Lovvorn, Senator Jabo Waggoner, Senator Tom Whatley, and the 53 House co-sponsors for championing this REALTOR® bill, HB 198, through the Legislature.