Alabama House committee approves expansion of Aniah’s Law

The Alabama House Judiciary Committee Wednesday approved a constitutional amendment increasing the number of offenses where a judge may deny bail.

SB 118, sponsored by Sen. Will Barfoot, R-Pike Road, would expand the scope of Aniah’s Law, a constitutional amendment approved by voters in 2022.

“It updates Aniah’s Law, keeps the same standard in place of an evidentiary hearing,” said Rep. Chip Brown, R-Hollingers Island, who introduced the measure to committee members in Barfoot’s place.

Prior to approval of Aniah’s Law, judges could only deny bond to individuals charged with capital murder. The amendment expanded that to include other serious crimes such as murder, kidnapping and rape.

That bill was named after Aniah Blanchard, a Southern Union Community College student who went missing in October 2019 and whose body was found a month later. Ibraheem Yazeed, who was charged with capital murder in Blanchard’s death, had been charged with several violent crimes but released on bail months before Blanchard was killed. Yazeed is still awaiting trial.

Aniah’s Law allows prosecutors to request a hearing to determine if a defendant should be denied bond for committing a violent Class A felony such as rape and murder.

Judges may still grant bond after hearing prosecution’s claims however.

SB 118 would make other charges subject to bond denial, including having a firearm or firing a gun into places with people, or soliciting, attempting or engaging in a conspiracy to commit murder.

There was little discussion before the committee approved the legislation to move forward onto the House floor.

The legislation is among the list of bills that Gov. Kay Ivey included as part of the public safety package she and leaders of the Republican conference made a priority for the session.

Ivey last week signed legislation making  it a state crime to use a Glock switch to convert a semiautomatic pistol into a fully automatic weapon.

Other bills are working their way through the legislative process, which includes granting law enforcement additional immunity protections.

If SB 118 passes the Legislature, it will be placed on the 2026 primary ballot.