SB 341

This act is the Alabama Work Zone Safety Act. This act: (1) authorizes the Alabama Toll Road, Bridge, and Tunnel Authority and the Alabama Department of Transportation to install certain automated photographic speed enforcement systems, and the Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) to use manually operated photographic speed enforcement systems, in active work zones to monitor motor vehicles to assure safety; (2) authorizes ALEA to issue civil traffic citations for speeding violations recorded by photographic speed enforcement systems and to mail notice of citations or warnings to a vehicle owner's address; (3) prohibits ALEA from issuing a notice if the identity of the owner is not reliably established; (4) provides that a failure to pay a civil penalty or contest liability in a timely manner, not exceeding 60 days, is an admission of liability; (5) requires the Secretary of ALEA to adopt rules providing for a hearing procedure and the resolution of violations; (6) provides that a speeding violation under the act is punishable by a civil fine of $250 and shall not result in a criminal penalty or points on the driver license; (7) provides requirements, including training and attestation of recorded violations via affidavit, for speed enforcement officers to operate photographic speed enforcement systems; (8) requires photographic speed enforcement systems to be independently calibrated annually; (9) requires the admission of a citation notice, recorded images of a violation, and evidence of ownership of a vehicle in court without foundation, with exceptions; (10) provides affirmative defenses that may be raised by cited individuals; (11) provides 50 percent of the civil penalties collected under this act shall be distributed to ALEA for costs of implementing this act, with any excess being deposited into the ALEA Work Zone Safety Fund, and the remaining 50 percent distributed to the department for costs of implementing this act, with any excess being deposited into the Transportation Work Zone Safety Fund; (12) establishes the ALEA Work Zone Safety Fund to be administered by ALEA and the Transportation Work Zone Safety Fund to be administered by the department in the State Treasury; (13) establishes a pilot program to authorize the department and ALEA to implement this act within one interstate work zone by October 1, 2026, with statewide implementation not before November 16, 2026; (14) authorizes the department and ALEA to make emergency procurements and adopt emergency rules to facilitate the pilot program implementation date; and (15) provides this act is repealed on September 30, 2028.