Great news this week for Alabama as Gov. Kay Ivey signed a package of four economic development bills.The plans -- dubbed "The Game Plan" -- quickly made their way through the legislature for the governor's signature on April 20.
“The Game Plan will give Alabama’s team the tools it needs to extend our winning record in economic development and help us unleash a new wave of growth and innovation across the state,” said Governor Ivey at the signing ceremony.
The Game Plan includes four bills focusing on economic development issues such as incentives, site development, small business support, and transparency.
- The Enhancing Alabama’s Economic Progress Act renews the Alabama Jobs Act and the Growing Alabama program and extends their sunset dates to 2028 while adding strategic enhancements to increase their effectiveness. The Jobs Act is the state’s primary incentives platform while Growing Alabama primarily speeds the development of shovel-ready sites.
- The Site Evaluation and Economic Development Strategy Act (SEEDS) will allow the State Industrial Development Authority to accelerate the development of industry-ready sites at a time when available sites are scarce, and other states are expanding their site programs.
- The Innovation and Small Business Act aims to supercharge growth in Alabama’s innovation economy and support underrepresented businesses and enterprises in rural areas, transforming the state into a hub for technology and innovation.
- The Enhancing Transparency Act will amend the Jobs Act to require the Alabama Department of Commerce to publish certain incentivized project information on its website. Transparency around important information related to companies receiving incentives will serve as a valid public service and increase confidence in the process.
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