GFOAA's Government Relations Committee is primarily responsible for the monitoring of new legislation passed by the Alabama Legislature. During each session, the committee advises the membership of the status of any bills that may impact their financial operations. You can also find out what is happening with the Alabama Legislature in a matter of minutes.  The Alabama Legislature has an online information system that may be of interest to many of our members. First, access the website at www.legislature.alabama.gov.  Look at the “Quick Links” list on the left hand side of the screen.  Next, click on the item identified as “Legislation, Code, and Constitution.”  Now, on the menu that follows, you want to click on the last option listed in the middle of the screen.  The option reads, “Click Here to Visit ALISON.”  Needless to say you want to visit ALISON, so click away. The next screen takes you into the online system.  The top left corner of the screen allows you to pick which legislative session you wish to access.  By default, the current session comes up, but you can change to a previous session by just clicking on the session and then picking it from a dropdown list.  Below the session button are all of the various options you can access.  To read a particular bill, you click the “Bills” button.  When you make this choice, you get another list that can further define your search.  If you choose status, then you have to enter the bill number, but you can also conduct your search by various other options such as sponsor, in committee, etc. For example, it you choose the “status” option, you will then get a screen which asks for a bill number.  Once you enter the number in the field, you must use your mouse to click on the “get status” button.  The bill item them appears.  Next, you need to click on the bill number button.  Doing this will allow you to use the buttons across the top of the screen to view the bill, see all steps and versions, etc. All in all, the online system is fairly self-explanatory, but it may take some maneuvering the first few times to “get the hang” of how it flows.  You can use it to even receive live audio of what is being discussed on the House or Senate floor on days in which they are in session.  Another option for the system is to enter your own personal instruments list.  If you have several bills you are interested in tracking, you enter them on the list and the next time you visit the website, all you have to do is check your list to see where your bills of interest are in the legislative process.  2009 Legislative Bills Enacted Charla G. Doucet, Chief Administrative Services Division Office of the Attorney General 11 South Union Street Montgomery, Alabama 36130 Phone: (334) 242-7305 Fax: (334) 242-4780