Bill
HR 367
Creates the House Interim Study Commission on Utility Relocation Costs to review how utilities are relocated on public roads and how costs are funded, with a 2026 report.
Note on source materials
- The materials provided for H.R. 367 include conflicting/merged texts. The bill header supplied to me names H.R. 367 as a ceremonial commendation for Thelma Alice Smith Washington Williams on her 100th birthday. The larger document text included in the packet, however, is the full text of a House Resolution establishing a House Interim Study Commission on Utility Relocation Costs (appears to be Alabama-style language). Other unrelated resolution drafts (Illinois memorial highway; a Georgia constitutional amendment) are also present in the packet. Below I summarize both the formal commendation (per the bill header) and the substantive study-commission resolution that appears in the body of the provided document, and then note procedural actions and sponsors recorded in the packet.
1) Ceremonial resolution (bill title)
- Purpose: A congratulatory/commendation resolution honoring Thelma Alice Smith Washington Williams on the occasion of her 100th birthday.
- Effect: Ceremonial; expresses recognition and congratulations. Such resolutions typically carry no legal or administrative effect beyond formal acknowledgement and are recorded in the legislative record.
2) Substantive resolution in the packet — House Interim Study Commission on Utility Relocation Costs (summary)
- Purpose / intent: To create a legislative interim study commission to assess the costs and processes related to relocating utilities (electric, gas, cable, water, etc.) when public road projects (realignment, widening, construction) require temporary or permanent utility relocations, and to recommend equitable allocation and reimbursement mechanisms and possible statutory or procedural changes.
- Key provisions:
- Establishes the House Interim Study Commission on Utility Relocation Costs.
- Membership: up to a broad mix of legislative appointees and stakeholders, including:
- 2 House members appointed by the Speaker, 1 House member by the House Minority Leader, plus possible Senate members if interested.
- Appointments by the Governor and Lieutenant Governor.
- Agency and industry representatives: Alabama Department of Transportation; Alabama Public Service Commission; Alabama Cable and Broadband Association; Energy Institute of Alabama (one or more, appointed by the chair); Alabama Natural Gas Association; Alabama Stormwater Association; Alabama Road Builders Association; Alabama Water & Wastewater Institute; Association of County Commissions of Alabama; Alabama League of Municipalities; Broadband Association of Alabama & Mississippi; a right-of-way/infrastructure expert appointed by the Business Council of Alabama; and one or more other organizations at the chair’s discretion.
- Appointments must be coordinated to reflect racial, gender, geographic, urban/rural, and economic diversity.
- Study scope: assess current law and practices regarding use of public road rights-of-way for utilities; procedures for relocation during public road projects; costs incurred; allocation and reimbursement of costs; availability and use of federal funding to cover relocations; and develop comprehensive recommendations for law/procedure changes.
- Leadership and meetings: Speaker designates a chair and vice-chair from the Speaker’s appointees; first meeting to be called by the chair no later than 60 days after passage; may meet as necessary.
- Support: Legislative Services Agency and House Clerk to provide administrative assistance.
- Compensation: Legislative members receive legislative compensation/per diem/travel per the Alabama Constitution; nonlegislative members serve without compensation but may be reimbursed for necessary expenses per their appointing authority’s policies.
- Reporting and duration: Final report of findings and recommendations due to the Legislature no later than the 10th legislative day of the 2026 Regular Session. Upon filing that report the commission is dissolved.
- Transparency: Must provide meeting notices, member names, and final report/documents to the Secretary of State per Code §36‑14‑17.1.
- Contingency: The commission is dissolved if a joint resolution establishing a joint interim study commission on the same/similar topic is enacted during the 2025 Regular Session.
- Potential impact: If enacted and if the commission’s recommendations are adopted by the Legislature, the work could change how utility relocation costs are allocated and reimbursed for public road projects (affecting state, county, municipal governments; utilities; contractors; and ratepayers). The study could identify opportunities to maximize federal funding and propose statutory or procedural changes to promote fairness and cost efficiency.
3) Procedural history and sponsors (as provided)
- Introduced: January 13, 2025.
- Committee referral: House Committee on Ways and Means (per packet).
- Key procedural steps listed in the packet include readings, placement on calendars, adoption, enrollment, and final presentation: taken by the Clerk of the House and presented to the Secretary of State (June 13, 2025). Dates show committee/calendar activity through May–June 2025.
- Sponsors (listed in packet): Stacey E. Plaskett; Matt Reeves; Carolyn Hugley; Steve Tarvin; Al Williams; Gabe Okoye; Stephanie A. Kifowit; Rashid Young (primary sponsors listed).
Conclusion / recommended clarification
- The packet appears to conflate several unrelated resolutions and drafts. If you want a targeted, authoritative summary for legislative tracking or public distribution, please confirm whether you want:
a) the brief ceremonial commendation for Thelma Alice Smith Washington Williams (title shown), or
b) the substantive House resolution creating the Interim Study Commission on Utility Relocation Costs (full text provided), or
c) an error-free, source-verified version of H.R. 367 from a specific state legislature (identify state). I can then produce a refined single-issue summary.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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