Bill > HB160

This bill amends existing laws concerning overtime compensation for public safety employees in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama. Specifically, it clarifies that law enforcement officers in Tuscaloosa County or its cities, including those funded by grants like LEAA (Law Enforcement Assistance Administration) or LEPA (Law Enforcement Personnel Administration), are entitled to time and a half pay or compensatory leave for hours worked beyond eight in a day or forty in a week, with the employee having the choice between pay or leave. It also allows the cities of Northport and Tuscaloosa to implement four 10-hour shifts per week for certain police department positions, with overtime provisions applying to hours exceeding ten in a day or forty in a week for those on this schedule, while other officers remain under the eight-hour day rule. Crucially, the bill explicitly excludes the City of Tuscaloosa's Executive Director of Public Safety from receiving any overtime pay or compensatory leave under these provisions. For fire protection activities in any municipality within Tuscaloosa County, full-time paid employees will receive time and a half pay or compensatory leave for hours worked over 24 in a tour of duty or 53 in a calendar week, with provisions for averaging hours according to the Fair Labor Standards Act and the ability for municipalities to institute shorter work weeks. The bill also states that gross pay for a normal work week will be the base for a 53-hour work week, and all paid leave will count as hours worked, with employees retaining the option for overtime pay or compensatory leave, and again, the Executive Director of Public Safety is excluded from these benefits. This act is set to become effective on October 1, 2026.