HB 29

HB29 INTRODUCED
1 HB29
2 ARHAM7S-1
3 By Representative Bolton
4 RFD: Judiciary
5 First Read: 13-Jan-26
6 PFD: 11-Aug-25
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 ARHAM7S-1 07/10/2025 CMH (L)CMH 2025-1958
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4 SYNOPSIS:
5Under existing law, a person commits the crime
6of manslaughter if he or she: (i) recklessly causes the
7death of another person; (ii) causes the death of
8another person under circumstances ordinarily
9constituting murder but for various mitigating factors,
10including heat of passion; or (iii) sells or
11distributes any substance containing any amount of
12fentanyl which causes the death of another.
13This bill would further provide for the crime of
14manslaughter to include sexual extortion of an
15individual under 18 years of age which proximately
16causes the victim's death.
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18
19A BILL
20TO BE ENTITLED
21AN ACT
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23Relating to crimes and offenses; to amend Section
24 13A-6-3, Code of Alabama 1975, to further provide for the
25 crime of manslaughter, to include death resulting from sexual
26 extortion; and to provide a criminal penalty for a violation.
27 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
28Section 1. Section 13A-6-3, Code of Alabama 1975, is
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  HB29 INTRODUCED
29 amended to read as follows:
30"§13A-6-3
31(a) A person commits the crime of manslaughter if he or
32 she does any of the following:
33(1) Recklessly causes the death of another person.
34(2) Causes the death of another person under
35 circumstances that would constitute murder under Section
36 13A-6-2; except, that he or she causes the death due to a
37 sudden heat of passion caused by provocation recognized by
38 law, and before a reasonable time for the passion to cool and
39 for reason to reassert itself.
40(3)a. Knowingly sells, furnishes, gives away, delivers,
41 or distributes a controlled substance in violation of Section
42 13A-12-211, which contains fentanyl, any mixture containing
43 fentanyl, any synthetic controlled substance fentanyl, or any
44 synthetic controlled substance fentanyl analogue as described
45 in Sections 20-2-23 and 20-2-25, and the person to whom the
46 controlled substance is sold, furnished, given, delivered, or
47 distributed dies as a proximate result of the use of the
48 controlled substance; provided, nothing in this subdivision
49 shall be construed to apply to a licensed physician engaged in
50 the practice of medicine, a licensed pharmacist engaged in the
51 practice of pharmacy, or a licensed dentist engaged in the
52 practice of dentistry.
53b. It is not a defense to this subdivision that the
54 person who sold, furnished, gave away, delivered, or
55 distributed the controlled substance had no knowledge that the
56 controlled substance contained fentanyl, any mixture
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57 containing fentanyl, any synthetic controlled substance
58 fentanyl, or any synthetic controlled substance fentanyl
59 analogue as described in Section 20-2-23 and 20-2-25.
60(4)a. Commits the crime of sexual extortion, as
61 provided under Section 13A-6-241, against a victim under 18
62 years of age, and both of the following occur:
631. The victim of the crime dies.
642. The finder of fact finds beyond a reasonable doubt
65 that the sexual extortion of the victim was the proximate
66 cause of the victim's death.
67b. For purposes of this subdivision, the Legislature
68 finds that for purposes of determining proximate causation, a
69 victim's suicide shall be deemed to be a foreseeable
70 consequence of the crime of sexual extortion and shall not be
71 deemed an independent intervening cause.
72(b)(1) ManslaughterExcept as provided in subdivision
73 (2), manslaughter is a Class B felony.
74(2) Manslaughter under subdivision (a)(4) is a Class A
75 felony."
76Section 2. This act shall become effective on October
77 1, 2026.
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