Bryan Brinyark

Action: Brinyark sponsored a House bill to remove the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC) from Alabama's voter-registration law. The law that passed was Senate Bill 142, Act 2025-424. The Secretary of State's record lists Sen. Wes Kitchens as its sponsor and Brinyark as a co-sponsor. The law removed ERIC from the list of databases officials can use to check whether a voter's address has changed.

Who may be affected: The change affects Alabama voters and the officials who keep voter-registration records up to date. The Secretary of State says Alabama now uses other sources, including postal-service address records and information from other states.

Supporters say: Secretary of State Wes Allen and Brinyark questioned where ERIC kept voters' personal information and who could see it. Brinyark said Alabama's replacement system, the Alabama Voter Integrity Database (AVID), was an improvement.

Critics say: Former Secretary of State John Merrill disputed some claims about ERIC and defended its use in keeping voter records current. The law changes which system state officials can use; it does not by itself show which system is more accurate.

Alabama Secretary of State: Act 2025-424 record
1819 News: House debate, AVID, ERIC, and Merrill's response
Brinyark's account of his 2025 session

Action: Brinyark added an amendment to HB477, a bill sponsored by Rep. David Faulkner. It allows the Alabama Farmers Federation to offer health plans to eligible members. While a member is covered, Brinyark's amendment says the plan cannot drop them, change their coverage, or raise their price because of a later medical event. It also bars the plan from using a claim to review their medical history and then deny coverage.

Who may be affected: Eligible farm families and other Federation members who cannot get affordable coverage through an employer may have another option. These plans are not regulated in the same way as regular health insurance, though the law sets requirements for covered services and handling complaints. It does not guarantee that every applicant with a pre-existing condition will be accepted.

Supporters say: Farmers and bill supporters said the plan could give farm families and other self-employed people another way to manage high health-coverage costs.

Critics say: Health and consumer advocates questioned whether the plans would cover as much as regular insurance and how members could challenge a denied claim. Brinyark said his amendment protects members after they enroll; it does not give these plans all the same rules as regular health insurance.

Official enrolled HB477
Alabama Reflector: House changes, coverage provisions, and concerns
Alabama Reflector: Senate debate and consumer-protection amendments
Brinyark's description of his amendment

Action: Brinyark sponsored HB100, a bill to collect fingerprints and other identifying information for background checks and create a continuing alert system called Rap Back. The House passed a revised version on March 17, 2026, but the bill died in the Senate and did not become law.

Who may be affected: People applying for certain jobs or licenses, employers, and law-enforcement agencies could be affected by repeated checks and alerts. During debate, Brinyark said an arrest could trigger an alert for state employees, while private employers would get an alert only after a conviction. That was his explanation during debate, not a program established by law.

Supporters say: Brinyark said the system would update background checks over time instead of relying only on a check when someone is hired.

Critics say: Lawmakers raised privacy concerns and asked whether an arrest could affect someone who is later found not guilty. Rep. Ernie Yarbrough also asked Brinyark to point to the bill language that made the different rules for public and private employers clear. Since HB100 did not become law, the proposed system was not created.

Official introduced HB100
1819 News: House debate and privacy questions
Bama Politics: HB100 summary

Action: Brinyark sponsored HB210, a proposed change to Alabama's Constitution that applies only to Fayette County. If voters approve it, homeowners age 65 or older who have owned a single-family home and lived in it as their main home for at least five years in a row could keep its taxable value at the level from the year before they claim the tax break. The proposal is on the November 3, 2026 ballot. Tax rates could still change, and later additions to a home could increase its taxable value.

Who may be affected: Qualifying older homeowners in Fayette County could have a more predictable home value for calculating property taxes. The proposal would not apply elsewhere in Alabama, and it would not freeze the whole tax bill because tax rates could still change.

Status: This is a proposed constitutional change, not a current tax break. It would take effect only if Fayette County voters approve it.

Official enrolled HB210
Bama Politics: bill summary
Bill Sponsor: HB210 status and summary