§ 40-13-6 — Distribution of Tax Proceeds

(a) In each fiscal year when the funds then on deposit in the special fund or funds created for retirement of the bonds equal the amount needed to pay all the principal and interest becoming payable on the bonds within the succeeding 12 months and the funds then on deposit in the reserve fund or funds created for the bonds equal the maximum principal and interest becoming due on the bonds in any one year, the severance tax proceeds remaining in the Alabama State Docks Bulk Handling Facility Trust Fund shall be distributed as provided herein; provided however, that if at the end of any fiscal year of the state, beginning with the fiscal year ending September 30, 1987, the Director of the Alabama State Docks Department shall have notified the Director of Finance in writing, at least five days prior to the close of the fiscal year, that the revenues to be derived by the Alabama State Docks Department from the operations of its coal handling facilities for the then current fiscal year are anticipated to be insufficient to pay the aggregate of (1) the expenses (exclusive of depreciation) incurred in operating and maintaining the facilities during such fiscal year and (2) principal and interest that came due during such fiscal year on those bonds of the Alabama State Docks Department for payment of which the revenues have been pledged (which notification shall specify the amount of the expected deficiency), then the remaining severance tax proceeds shall remain in the Alabama State Docks Bulk Handling Facility Trust Fund. Following the filing of such notification, a report shall be filed by the Director of the Alabama State Docks Department with the Director of Finance within 30 days after the close of such fiscal year, supported by such documentation as may be deemed appropriate by the Director of Finance and attesting to the amount of the actual deficiency, computed as described above, incurred in the operation of the facilities during the immediately preceding fiscal year. Upon receipt of the report and such other documentation from the department as the Director of Finance may specify, the Director of Finance, if satisfied as to the accuracy of the amount of the actual deficiency as reflected in the report and accompanying documentation, shall authorize to be transferred, and to the extent herein provided there is hereby in such event appropriated, to the Alabama State Docks Department an amount equal to the lesser of (i) the actual amount of any deficiency computed as described herein or (ii) the balance contained in the Alabama State Docks Bulk Handling Facility Trust Fund as of the immediately preceding September 30.
(b) Beginning with the 1992-93 fiscal year, the first three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000) of any moneys remaining in the Alabama State Docks Bulk Handling Facility Trust Fund after such transfer to the Alabama State Docks Department shall be transferred directly to the Alabama Mining Academy.
(c) For the fiscal year 2011-2012, any moneys remaining in the Alabama State Docks Bulk Handling Facility Trust Fund after such transfers to the Alabama State Docks Department and the Alabama Mining Academy shall be distributed as follows:
(1) Five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) shall be transferred to the Tuscaloosa County General Fund; five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) to the Jefferson County General Fund; and two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000) to the Walker County Economic and Industrial Development Authority. The Tuscaloosa County General Fund allocation shall be distributed as follows: One hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) to the Town of Vance; one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) to the Town of Brookwood; one hundred twenty-five thousand dollars ($125,000) to the Tuscaloosa County Public Library; and one hundred seventy-five thousand dollars ($175,000) to the Tuscaloosa County Board of Education. If the total amount available for distribution to the Tuscaloosa County General Fund, the Jefferson County General Fund, and the Walker County Economic and Industrial Development Authority is insufficient to provide the total allocations for the three, the amount that is available shall be prorated among the three in the same proportion as the designated allocations. In the event the Tuscaloosa County General Fund receives less than five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000), the distributions to the Tuscaloosa County Board of Education and Tuscaloosa County Public Library shall collectively have priority. In the event the allocation to the Tuscaloosa County General Fund is less than three hundred twenty-five thousand dollars ($325,000), the total amount available shall be prorated among the Tuscaloosa County Board of Education and the Tuscaloosa County Public Library in the same proportion as the designated allocations.
(2) From any moneys remaining after the allocations in subdivision (1), one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) shall be transferred to the Community Development Foundation, Inc., fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) shall be transferred to the Marion County Community Development Association, Inc., fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) shall be transferred to the West Alabama Development Association of Fayette County, one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) shall be transferred to the Jackson County Economic Development Association, and one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) shall be transferred to the West Alabama Economic Development Association. If the total moneys available for distribution to the Community Development Foundation, Inc., the Marion County Development Association, Inc., the West Alabama Development Association of Fayette County, the Jackson County Economic Development Association, and the West Alabama Economic Development Association are insufficient to provide the total allocations for the five, the amount that is available shall be allocated proportionately.
Any foundation or association receiving funds pursuant to this section shall be annually audited by the Department of Examiners of Public Accounts and such audit shall be submitted to the Legislature each legislative session.
(3) Any county producing coal that has not previously received an allocation shall receive an allocation based upon tonnage produced in their county using 60 percent of severance tax.
(4) Any moneys remaining after the distributions in subdivisions (1), (2), and (3) shall be transferred to the State General Fund.
(d) For the fiscal year 2012-2013, any moneys remaining in the Alabama State Docks Bulk Handling Facility Trust Fund after any transfers to the Alabama State Docks Department and the Alabama Mining Academy shall be distributed as follows:
(1)a. The Tuscaloosa County General Fund, Jefferson County General Fund, and Walker County Economic and Industrial Development Authority shall receive 50 percent of the designated allocations provided in subsection (c)(1), unless insufficient moneys are available for the distributions; in which case, a pro rata amount shall be received.
b. However, if 60 percent of the remaining moneys available for distribution to the Tuscaloosa County General Fund, Jefferson County General Fund, and Walker County Economic and Industrial Development Authority exceed 50 percent of the designated allocations to the three, as provided in subsection (c)(1), then the three shall receive the same proportion of 60 percent of the remaining moneys available for distribution as provided by the designated allocations.
c. Notwithstanding any other provision, through the fiscal year ending September 30, 2031, the Tuscaloosa County General Fund allocation shall be distributed as follows: Two hundred twenty-five thousand dollars ($225,000) to the Tuscaloosa County Board of Education; one hundred fifty thousand dollars ($150,000) to the Tuscaloosa County Public Library; one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) to the Town of Brookwood; fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) to the Town of Vance; thirteen thousand dollars ($13,000) to the Town of Coaling; thirteen thousand dollars ($13,000) to the Town of Coker; thirteen thousand dollars ($13,000) to the Town of Lakeview; and eleven thousand dollars ($11,000) to the Tuscaloosa County Judicial Library Fund.
If the total amount available to the Tuscaloosa County General Fund is less than five hundred seventy-five thousand dollars ($575,000), the amount that is available shall be prorated among the entities named in this paragraph in the same proportion as the designated allocations.
In the event the Tuscaloosa County General Fund receives less than two hundred twenty-five thousand dollars ($225,000), the Tuscaloosa County schools shall receive the entire distribution.
In the event the allocation to the Tuscaloosa County General Fund is greater than five hundred seventy-five thousand dollars ($575,000), the total amount of the excess available shall be prorated as follows: 80 percent of the excess to the Tuscaloosa County Board of Education; 12 percent of the excess to the Tuscaloosa County Public Library; and eight percent of the excess to the Tuscaloosa County General Fund for the purpose of supporting the volunteer fire departments in Tuscaloosa County.
(2) From any moneys remaining after the allocations in subsection (c)(1), one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) shall be transferred to the Community Development Foundation, Inc., fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) shall be transferred to the Marion County Community Development Association, Inc., fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) shall be transferred to the West Alabama Development Association of Fayette County, fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) shall be transferred to the Jackson County Economic Development Association, and one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) shall be transferred to the West Alabama Economic Development Association. If the total moneys available for distribution to the Community Development Foundation, Inc., the Marion County Development Association, Inc., the West Alabama Development Association of Fayette County, the Jackson County Economic Development Association, and the West Alabama Economic Development Association are insufficient to provide the total allocations for the five, the amount that is available shall be allocated proportionately.
(3) One hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) shall be allocated to the Winston County General Fund.
(4) Any moneys remaining after the distributions in subdivisions (1), (2), and (3) shall be transferred to the State General Fund.
(e) Beginning with the fiscal year 2013-2014, and for all fiscal years thereafter, any moneys remaining in the Alabama State Docks Bulk Handling Facility Trust Fund after any transfers to the Alabama State Docks Department and the Alabama Mining Academy shall be distributed as follows:
(1) a. Sixty percent shall be transferred by the Department of Revenue to the general fund of the county of severance based on the ratio of the $0.135 per ton coal severance tax collections from within the county to the total coal severance tax collections, except those sent to the Walker County Economic and Industrial Development Authority, which shall not be less than one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000). Provided, however, the distribution to the Jefferson County General Fund shall be five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000). This distribution to Jefferson County shall not reduce the amounts available for distribution to other counties pursuant to this subdivision. Any difference in the amount calculated for Jefferson County pursuant to this subdivision and five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) shall be provided from funds that would otherwise be transferred pursuant to subdivision (4).
b. For the purposes of this paragraph, the term “additional severance tax distribution” means any severance tax distribution that is attributed to the amount of coal severed in a county that is at least 10 percent greater than the average of coal severed in a county for the fiscal years 2017-2018, 2018-2019, and 2019-2020. Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, for the fiscal year 2021-2022 and each fiscal year thereafter, any additional severance tax distribution shall be distributed to the county where the coal was severed, except if any coal severed in the county was loaded for shipping in another county, any additional severance tax distribution attributed to any coal severed in a county and loaded for shipping in another county shall be distributed as follows: 75 percent of that portion of any additional severance tax distribution shall be distributed to the county where severed, and 25 percent of that portion of any additional severance tax distribution shall be distributed to the county where the coal was loaded for shipping.
(2) From any moneys remaining after the allocations in subdivision (1), one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) shall be transferred to the Community Development Foundation, Inc., fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) shall be transferred to the Marion County Community Development Association, Inc., fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) shall be transferred to the West Alabama Development Association of Fayette County, and one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) shall be transferred to the West Alabama Economic Development Association. If the total moneys available for distribution to the Community Development Foundation, Inc., the Marion County Development Association, Inc., the West Alabama Development Association of Fayette County, and the West Alabama Economic Development Association are insufficient to provide the total allocations for the four, the amount that is available shall be allocated proportionately.
(3) One hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) shall be allocated to the Winston County General Fund.
(4) The remainder after the distribution in subdivisions (1), (2), and (3) shall be transferred to a fund in the State Treasury designated solely for the operation of the Surface Mining Commission, which fund is continuously appropriated for the operation of the commission.

Legislative History

(Acts 1971, No. 2305, p. 3719, §6; Acts 1980, No. 80-645, p. 1217; Acts 1985, No. 85-648, §2; Acts 1993, No. 93-680, p. 1301, §1; Acts 1997, No. 97-615, p. 1078, §1; Act 2006-386, p. 984, §1; Act 2012-386, p. 1030, §1; Act 2014-346, p. 1289, §1(b)(8); Act 2021-120, §1.)