Alabama bill would notify parents of teen traffic violations

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WBRC) - A bill that would allow parents to be notified when their child receives a traffic violation is making its way through the Alabama Legislature.

House Bill 318 was inspired by two Alabama teens killed in a crash in Tuscumbia in 2022. The bill passed the House by a vote of 103-1 and now awaits Senate approval.

The legislation, known as “TJ’s Law,” would use new software developed by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency to create and manage an opt-in notification system for parents when a minor receives a traffic violation. The system requires no extra work for law enforcement.

21-year-old T.J. Morgan and his girlfriend Lexie were killed in a crash in June 2022. Neither were wearing seatbelts.

“After his funeral, we were going through his things and I found three different citations for failure to wear a seatbelt and they were all issued when he was a minor,” said April Vafeas, T.J.’s mother.

Vafeas felt there was something that could be done to save someone else’s child. She interviewed with a WBRC sister station last year, supporting a similar version of the bill that never made it out of the legislature.

“We passed this bill through the House the last couple of years, a similar bill with the same idea, but ALEA has since been able to develop a software solution to this that allows parents to opt-in online to participate in this,” said Representative Jamie Kiel (R) - Alabama.

Parents and guardians have to provide custody documentation that would enroll them in the notification system until their child turns 19. The system only applies if the minor gets a ticket, not a warning, for any kind of traffic infraction.

Parents are automatically notified once law enforcement issues the citation.

“The law enforcement officer on the side of the road does not have to do anything in this bill, so that’s a drastic change from what we’ve passed before,” Kiel said.

Vafeas believes if she had known about the tickets, things could have been different.

“If I could have taken his truck away from him for a month. You know, driven him to school. 16-year-old boys do not like for momma to take them to school. That is something I would have addressed if I had the chance to,” Vafeas said.

She hopes T.J.’s Law will give other parents that chance.

Minors can unenroll in the system if they are emancipated, independent, married, or have given birth.

Get news alerts in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store or subscribe to our email newsletter here.