HB355 Alabama 2021 Session

Under existing law, a person who knowingly provides a false statement relating to a matter under investigation by the Attorney General, or a prosecutor or officer of the Office of Attorney General, is guilty of a Class C felony

This bill would create the crime of making a false statement to a law enforcement officer by prohibiting a person from knowingly making a materially false statement to a law enforcement officer during the course of a criminal investigation of a Class A or B felony, with exceptions

Amendment 621 of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, now appearing as Section 111.05 of the Official Recompilation of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, as amended, prohibits a general law whose purpose or effect would be to require a new or increased expenditure of local funds from becoming effective with regard to a local governmental entity without enactment by a 2/3 vote unless: it comes within one of a number of specified exceptions; it is approved by the affected entity; or the Legislature appropriates funds, or provides a local source of revenue, to the entity for the purpose

The purpose or effect of this bill would be to require a new or increased expenditure of local funds within the meaning of the amendment. However, the bill does not require approval of a local governmental entity or enactment by a 2/3 vote to become effective because it comes within one of the specified exceptions contained in the amendment

Relating to crimes; to create the crime of making a false statement to a law enforcement officer; to provide criminal penalties; and in connection therewith would have as its purpose or effect the requirement of a new or increased expenditure of local funds within the meaning of Amendment 621 of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, now appearing as Section 111.05 of the Official Recompilation of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, as amended.