This bill pertains to Etowah County and addresses the service of process and the associated fees. It allows the Sheriff of Etowah County to contract with private, public, or governmental entities for the purpose of serving process for any document that is not an arrest warrant. Additionally, the bill introduces a new service of process fee of thirty-five dollars ($35) per case for each party requiring personal service by the sheriff. This fee will be collected by the clerk, sheriff, or other appropriate court official in the district and circuit courts of Etowah County and will be paid into the Sheriff's Law Enforcement Fund.

The bill specifies that the Sheriff of Etowah County may use the funds generated from this fee at their discretion for any lawful purpose, and these funds should not replace any other income sources for the sheriff. The district attorney and grand juries are exempt from paying this fee. The act is set to become effective on December 1, 2024, but this is contingent upon the ratification of an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 2022, which authorizes the Legislature to regulate court costs in Etowah County and ratifies previously collected court costs. The bill has passed both the Senate and the House of Representatives, as indicated by the signatures of the President and Presiding Officer of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.