The bill, designated as SB60 Enrolled, aims to enhance the development, improvement, maintenance, and construction of inland ports and transfer facilities within the state of Alabama. It authorizes the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs to facilitate and coordinate these efforts. The bill outlines the Legislature's findings, emphasizing the importance of inland ports in facilitating trade, reducing highway truck traffic, and decreasing greenhouse emissions. It also highlights the need for infrastructure enhancements to handle increased freight traffic due to the expansion of the Panama Canal and improvements to the Mobile Ship Channel.

The bill defines key terms such as "inland ports," "intermodal facility," and "port facility," and excludes the Port of Mobile from the definition of inland ports. It establishes the Inland Ports and Intermodal Development Fund within the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs, which will receive appropriations from the State General Fund. The fund will finance improvements to existing publicly-owned inland ports and intermodal facility infrastructure through a competitive bid process. The bill sets forth eligibility criteria for funding, prioritizing projects that reduce congestion, increase tonnage at port facilities, and enhance regional competitiveness. It also specifies that the Legislature shall annually appropriate $2,000,000 from the State General Fund to the department for this purpose, starting in fiscal year 2026 and continuing through fiscal year 2028, unless extended by further legislation. The act will take effect on October 1, 2024.