The 2026 Regular Legislative Session has concluded. This is an election year in Alabama. In an election year, it is common to see lawmakers introduce bills that create friendly headlines but do little to impact the health and welfare of their constituents.

State Representative David Faulkner of Mountain Brook bucked that trend in impressive fashion when he decided to file and pass a bill to create common sense regulations for Alabama’s overnight summer camps.

House Bill 381, also known as the Sarah Marsh Heaven’s 27 Act, was recently signed into law by Governor Kay Ivey, after receiving nearly unanimous support in the Alabama Legislature. The legislation is named after young Sarah Marsh of Birmingham, who was tragically killed in the Texas floods at Camp Mystic last summer. Her parents, Jill and Patrick Marsh, met with Representative Faulkner late last year to discuss the lack of oversight of Alabama overnight camps. When the idea of filing legislation was discussed, David did not hesitate to fully commit to the effort.

The limited oversight of these camps would truly surprise many readers. This lack of oversight does not necessarily mean they are operating unsafely. In fact, Alabama is blessed to have many fine camp operations in the state, from the Baldwin County coast to the mountains of Mentone. Our children have been truly enriched by their experiences at these camps and will continue to be for many years to come. The Sarah Marsh Heavens 27 Actsimply codifies the need for these camps to have adequate safety plans, staff background checks, and other commonsense licensure requirements. Thankfully, most of these tasks are already being done by the camps.

Another strong element of the bill is an expert-led advisory council to assist the Alabama Emergency Management Agency, who is tasked with implementing the licensing requirements of the bill. On this portion, Rep. Faulkner spent dozens of hours negotiating with a wide array of stakeholders from around the state, including camp owners. Local emergency management officials play a crucial role in planning for potential weather disasters, and their voice is critical in these discussions. They are truly heroes.

As the Vice Chairman of the powerful Rules Committee, David is often called upon by Speaker Ledbetter and other House leaders to either mediate legislation or draft amendments and substitutes to improve a bill before it reaches the floor. His background as a seasoned litigation attorney serves him in this role. Beyond the camp safety effort, Faulkner has not shied away from sponsoring other very important and monumentallegislative acts.

Recently, Rep. Faulkner passed another significant and poignant legislative act. He sponsored the monumental Lulu’s Law – a measure aimed at enhancing beach safety by establishing a shark alert system for Mobile and Baldwin Counties. The Act was named in honor of Lulu Gribbin, a 15-year-old from Mountain Brook who survived a shark attack off the coast of Florida during the summer of 2024. Lulu and her parents are some of Faulkner’s constituents. Lulu’s Law is one of the most meaningful acts of this quadrennium.

In addition, Faulkner an urban legislator became the hero and darling of the Alabama Farmers Federation when he sponsored and was the stalwart leader in the House of Representatives for passage of the Alabama Farmers Federation Health Plan in the 2025 Legislative Session.

Representative Faulkner is a true case study in effectiveness and continues to win deep respect from colleagues and constituents alike. He is a legislative statesman whose influence will only continue to grow in the coming years.

See you next week.