MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WDNews) — Alabama could soon set its own legally mandated minimum wage under a bill recently filed in the state Legislature.
Senate Bill 171 would establish a statewide minimum wage for the first time in Alabama history. The state currently relies on the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour, which has been in place since 2009.
Under SB171, Alabama’s minimum wage would be set at $10 per hour. The proposal includes exemptions for small businesses with 50 or fewer employees.
The bill was introduced in January 2026 by a group of Democratic lawmakers, including Sens. Robert Stewart, Kirk Hatcher, Rodger Smitherman, Vivian Davis Figures, Merika Coleman, Linda Coleman-Madison, Bobby Singleton and Billy Beasley.
If approved by the Legislature and signed into law, the measure would take effect Oct. 1, 2026, with the new wage standard beginning Jan. 1, 2027.
