The bill proposes amendments to Section 41-29-1, Code of Alabama 1975, concerning the Department of Commerce. It revises the process for setting the salaries of the Secretary of Commerce and the deputy secretaries. The bill removes the previous salary cap for the Secretary of Commerce, which was not to exceed $40,000 above the highest authorized salary for Merit System employees of the Department of Commerce. Instead, the Secretary's salary will now be set in the same manner as other appointed department heads under Section 36-6-6, with the Governor considering salaries of comparable positions in other states and private industry. Additionally, the bill updates the language to current style, replacing terms like "person" with "individual" and ensuring that the makeup of the assistant secretaries reflects the diversity of the state.

The bill also modifies the appointment and salary setting process for the deputy secretaries of the Business Development Division and the Workforce Development Division, removing the previous salary cap that was not to exceed $10,000 above the highest authorized salary for Merit System employees of the Department. Now, the deputy secretaries' salaries will be set by the Secretary of Commerce and approved by the Governor. The bill includes technical revisions to update the existing code language to current style and clarifies the roles of the Department of Commerce in economic development functions and coordination with other state departments. The bill is set to become effective on June 1, 2024.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 41-29-1
Enrolled: 41-29-1