DOTHAN, Ala. (WDNews) — A viral claim circulating on social media has led many Alabamians to believe House Bill 72 will become law on Oct. 1, 2026. However, official Alabama legislative records show that claim is false.
HB 72, sponsored by Rep. Patrick Sellers, proposed making it a crime to smoke or vape marijuana in a motor vehicle while a child is present. The bill also proposed mandatory reporting requirements if a child smelled of marijuana.
The Alabama House of Representatives passed HB 72 on Jan. 29, 2026, and the bill was then sent to the Alabama Senate for consideration. However, according to the official legislative history, the bill was referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee and received no further action before the 2026 Regular Session ended.
Because the bill never passed the Alabama Senate, it was never sent to Gov. Kay Ivey for her signature and never became Alabama law. Under Alabama’s legislative process, a bill must be approved by both the House and Senate before it can be presented to the governor.
The official legislative record lists HB 72’s final status as “Pending Senate Judiciary” and “Engrossed – Dead,” meaning the legislation died without becoming law.
As a result, HB 72 will not take effect on Oct. 1, 2026, despite claims circulating online.
Source: Alabama Legislature bill history and official legislative records for HB 72.
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