Leigh Hulsey

Action: Hulsey sponsored HB166, the FOCUS Act, which Governor Kay Ivey signed in May 2025. It requires public-school boards to adopt policies restricting students' wireless-device use during the instructional day and storing the devices away from students. It also requires internet-safety policies and social-media safety instruction before eighth grade.

Who may be affected: Students, parents, teachers, and school staff are affected by storage rules, classroom distractions, and how families contact children during school hours. The Department of Education's implementation guidance permits use under specified education, accommodation, or health plans; supervised educational use; and emergencies threatening someone's life or safety. Local boards determine storage arrangements.

Supporters say: Hulsey and Ivey argue that limiting phone use can reduce distractions and give students more time to learn and interact with classmates.

Critics say: During debate, Rep. Barbara Drummond raised concerns about children contacting parents during emergencies. Sen. Chris Elliott said constituents worried about reaching their children; the Senate rejected his proposed parent-contact amendment. Supporters pointed to contacting families through the school office. The final implementation guidance includes the life-or-safety emergency exception described above, not unrestricted parent contact throughout the day.

Official enrolled FOCUS Act
Department of Education: final rules and emergency exception
Governor's office: signing and supporters' explanations
Alabama Reflector: House debate and emergency-contact concerns
Alabama Reflector: final passage and rejected amendment

Action: Hulsey sponsored HB232, enacted May 16, 2024. It allows qualifying physical therapists to evaluate and treat patients without first obtaining a referral. For patients who do not show a beneficial response within 30 days or 11 visits, whichever comes first, the therapist must refer them to an appropriate healthcare provider; the law includes exceptions for specified patient groups.

Who may be affected: People seeking treatment for non-work-related pain, injuries, or movement problems may be able to start care without a separate referral appointment. The law separately gives cash-paying patients direct access without restriction. Therapists, referring clinicians, and insurers are also affected; the law does not require insurance plans to cover every service it permits.

Supporters say: Hulsey argues that requiring an extra appointment can add cost. Physical-therapy advocates say movement problems do not always require a physician visit before treatment.

Concerns addressed in the compromise: Senate Healthcare Committee chair Tim Melson described the bill as a compromise between physicians and physical therapists with additional safeguards. Therapists must meet experience or education requirements, and the law does not authorize them to prescribe medicine or order or interpret medical imaging.

Official enrolled physical-therapy law
Alabama Reflector: access arguments and negotiated safeguards
BillTrack50: enactment record
Hulsey's own 2024 session account, published by 1819 News

Action: Hulsey sponsored HB126, the Abram Colin Act, enacted April 16, 2024. It requires training for fire-protection personnel, certified volunteer firefighters, and EMS personnel on interacting with people with sensory needs or disabilities that may not be immediately visible. The EMS requirement began January 1, 2025.

Who may be affected: Residents who find sirens, lights, touch, or unfamiliar instructions overwhelming may be affected by how responders communicate during an emergency. Families and emergency-service departments are also affected by the training requirements.

Supporters say: In her session account, Hulsey argues that communication difficulties and sensory sensitivities can lead responders to misunderstand a person's reactions or escalate an encounter. She says training can help responders recognize those situations.

Implementation: The law uses nonprofit-provided training without compensation to the provider. The Department of Public Health requires EMS personnel to complete at least one hour annually and retain proof of completion, with the requirement checked at renewals from 2026. Training adds a requirement for personnel; completing a course does not guarantee a particular outcome in an emergency.

Official enrolled Abram Colin Act
Alabama Department of Public Health: EMS training requirements
BillTrack50: enactment record
Hulsey's explanation of the law in her session account

Action: Hulsey sponsored HB399, enacted April 17, 2026. It changes tax breaks for data-processing centers, including a 20-year exemption limit and collection of specified taxes on construction and power-related purchases by certain large centers beginning January 1, 2027. Eligibility rules and exceptions remain in the enrolled law.

Who may be affected: Data-center operators, taxpayers, nearby residents, and governments receiving tax revenue may be affected by how much a project pays and how long incentives last. The law changes taxes; it does not ban data centers or directly set residents' power bills.

Supporters of data-center development say: In the broader debate, supporters point to digital infrastructure, construction jobs, and potential local revenue. Doug Jones also acknowledged those potential benefits while calling for stronger protections.

Critics say: Community and environmental advocates raise concerns about power and water demand, noise, and public access to information. Coosa Riverkeeper's Justinn Overton argues residents should have a voice in major projects. Those are concerns about data-center development generally, not evidence that these speakers endorsed or opposed Hulsey's final tax bill.

Official enrolled data-center tax law
BillTrack50: enactment record
Alabama Reflector: Hulsey's proposal alongside other utility measures
Alabama Reflector: development arguments and community concerns