---
type: "Bill"
title: "Contracts, creation and enforcement of non-disparagement agreements, provided"
description: "Contracts, creation and enforcement of non-disparagement agreements, provided"
jurisdiction: "us/states/al"
legislature: "Alabama Legislature"
session: "2021rs"
identifier: "HB 494"
citation: "Alabama HB 494 (2021rs)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Contracts"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["England"]
version_count: 4
action_count: 20
vote_count: 4
first_action: "2021-03-03T05:00:00+00:00"
last_action: "2021-05-17T04:00:00+00:00"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/b558ef8d-02c2-48ec-b6f4-0924b60323a0"
source_url: "http://alisondb.legislature.state.al.us/Alison/SESSBillStatusResult.aspx?BILL=HB494"
source_hash: "a34f8903db3ea1838af32b3b86bd4dd70ef28a87de836b0d33bb1e5e469e2728"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-al"]
---

# Alabama HB 494 (2021rs) — Contracts, creation and enforcement of non-disparagement agreements, provided

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Introduced** (filed) — [source](http://alisondb.legislature.state.al.us/ALISON/SearchableInstruments/2021rs/PrintFiles/HB494-int.pdf)
2. **Amd/Sub 213961-1** (committee substitute) — [source](http://alisondb.legislature.state.al.us/ALISON/SearchableInstruments/2021rs/PrintFiles/213961-1.pdf)
3. **Amd/Sub 213961-2** (committee substitute) — [source](http://alisondb.legislature.state.al.us/ALISON/SearchableInstruments/2021rs/PrintFiles/213961-2.pdf)
4. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](http://alisondb.legislature.state.al.us/ALISON/SearchableInstruments/2021rs/PrintFiles/HB494-enr.pdf)

## Votes

- Smitherman motion to Adopt adopted Roll Call 1462 — **31–0** (pass) · upper
- Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass adopted Roll Call 1463 — **31–0** (pass) · upper
- England motion to Concur In and Adopt adopted Roll Call 1228 — **98–0** (pass) · lower
- Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass adopted Roll Call 436 — **99–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- England — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2021-03-03T05:00:00+00:00** Read for the first time and referred to the House of Representatives committee on Judiciary `reading-1, referral-committee`
- **2021-03-11T05:00:00+00:00** Read for the second time and placed on the calendar `reading-2`
- **2021-03-16T04:00:00+00:00** Third Reading Passed `passage`
- **2021-03-16T04:00:00+00:00** Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass adopted Roll Call 436 `passage`
- **2021-03-16T04:00:00+00:00** Read for the first time and referred to the Senate committee on Judiciary `reading-1, referral-committee`
- **2021-05-06T04:00:00+00:00** Read for the second time and placed on the calendar with 1 substitute and `reading-2`
- **2021-05-17T04:00:00+00:00** Third Reading Passed `passage`
- **2021-05-17T04:00:00+00:00** Judiciary first Substitute Offered `amendment-introduction`
- **2021-05-17T04:00:00+00:00** Smitherman motion to Table adopted Voice Vote `amendment-passage`
- **2021-05-17T04:00:00+00:00** Smitherman first Substitute Offered `amendment-introduction`
- **2021-05-17T04:00:00+00:00** Smitherman motion to Adopt adopted Roll Call 1462 `amendment-passage`
- **2021-05-17T04:00:00+00:00** Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass adopted Roll Call 1463 `passage`
- **2021-05-17T04:00:00+00:00** Concurrence Requested
- **2021-05-17T04:00:00+00:00** England motion to Concur In and Adopt adopted Roll Call 1228 `passage`
- **2021-05-17T04:00:00+00:00** Concurred in Second House Amendment
- **2021-05-17T04:00:00+00:00** Enrolled
- **2021-05-17T04:00:00+00:00** Signature Requested
- **2021-05-17T04:00:00+00:00** Clerk of the House Certification
- **2021-05-17T04:00:00+00:00** Assigned Act No. 2021-503. `executive-signature`
- **2021-05-17T04:00:00+00:00** Delivered to Governor at 11:59 p.m. on May 17, 2021. `executive-receipt`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/b558ef8d-02c2-48ec-b6f4-0924b60323a0`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Alabama legislature records).