January 28, 2026
The second week of the 2026 legislative session brought meaningful progress on several fronts, including a major milestone for survivor protections in Alabama.
I'm proud to share that Trey's Law passed the House floor this week with 98 yes votes and zero opposition. This bill prohibits non-disclosure agreements from silencing survivors of sexual abuse. While settlement agreements can still protect financial terms and other details, victims can never be forced to stay quiet about the abuse itself.
The bill is named after Trey Carlock, who took his own life after an NDA prevented him from speaking about the abuse he endured. His sister, Elizabeth Phillips, came to Montgomery months ago to share Trey's story with me, and she has been advocating for this change across the country. Her courage and persistence made this possible.
A companion bill carried by Senator Matt Woods passed the Senate the day before our House vote, so both bills now move to the opposite chambers. I look forward to seeing Trey's Law signed into law and hope it serves as a model for other states.
Work continues on the camp safety bill that will honor Sarah Marsh and the 26 other young women who lost their lives in a tragic flood at a Texas camp last year. This week we had productive conversations with the Alabama Camp Association, camp owners, and the Emergency Management Agency.
The bill is in its final drafting stages, and I plan to file it next Thursday. Our goal is to codify commonsense safety standards - emergency response plans, criminal background checks, and other measures that responsible camps already follow. No parent should have to wonder whether their child is safe at summer camp.
I also passed a bill out of the Judiciary Committee this week on behalf of our district attorneys and the Office of Prosecution Services. This legislation addresses a gap in how self-defense claims are evaluated.
Under this bill, if someone claims they killed or injured another person in self-defense, they must retain the weapon they used. If the weapon has been disposed of, a rebuttable presumption is established that the act was not in self-defense. The accused can still overcome that presumption by explaining to the court why the weapon is no longer available, but the burden shifts appropriately. This is a reasonable step to ensure that self-defense claims are supported by evidence.
Education remains one of my top priorities, and this week I filed a bill to make computer science a high school graduation requirement in Alabama. We've made great strides in recent years - my computer science education bill passed in 2019 required every high school to offer at least one CS course - but we need to go further. In today's economy, computer science literacy is as foundational as reading and math. Our students deserve to graduate prepared for the jobs of tomorrow.
Leadership remains focused on an efficient session, and I expect us to wrap up by early April - roughly two weeks ahead of the normal schedule. With primary elections on May 19, the priority is passing the budgets, moving good legislation through, and getting members back to their districts.
Finally, a quick note on the weather. I receive regular updates from Jefferson County's Emergency Management Agency, and the latest reports are more encouraging than earlier forecasts. It looks like our area may see rain rather than ice, though we should still expect freezing temperatures from Sunday night through Tuesday. Please take precautions, check on neighbors, and stay safe.
As always, if you have questions or concerns about anything happening at the state level, don't hesitate to reach out. Hearing from you helps me serve District 46 better.
Until next week,
David Faulkner
Alabama House District 46
Alabama Rep. David Faulkner previews the final week of the 2026 legislative session, including computer science graduation requirements, teacher pay raises, and tributes to retiring Representatives Jim Hill and Terri Collins.
From a third-grader advocating for her teachers with a PowerPoint to three high school students landing $250,000 to bring debate to schools across Alabama, Week 10 was a reminder of why this work matters. The Camp Safety Act cleared another unanimous vote, the Education Trust Fund budget headed to the Senate with a teacher pay raise included, and the Mountain Brook Fire Department received a grant for state-of-the-art paramedic training equipment.
The Camp Safety Act is headed for its Senate vote this week. One of David's bills clears the full legislature and reaches the Governor's desk. And with three weeks left in the session, the homestretch is officially underway.
Alabama passed Trey's Law. Now Congress is following our lead. I was on Capitol Hill this week as Senators Ted Cruz and Katie Britt filed the federal version of the bill - here's what that moment meant.
Crime victims are getting their funding restored, a Homewood pedestrian bridge is underway, and several of my bills are one step from final passage. A busy week in Montgomery - here's the full update.
A long Tuesday night in Montgomery produced three unanimous votes, and a major self-defense bill cleared its biggest Senate hurdle. Here's everything that moved in Week 7 - from arson reform to protecting houses of worship.
We had our weekly call with the Governor this morning, and she confirmed she will be giving a report to the people of Alabama Tomorrow
do expect the Governor to BEGIN lessening the restrictions and limitations imposed by the latest State Health Order as of May 1st.
Organizing for Action: We’re the people who don’t just support
Organizing for Action: We’re the people who don’t just support
Organizing for Action: We’re the people who don’t just support
