Chip Brown Files Bill to Enforce Alabama Seafood Labeling
HB444 toughens current seafood label law, would dock sanitation scores of violators, mandate menu labels, allow genetic testing of seafood origin
State Representative Chip Brown (R-Hollinger’s Island), has introduced legislation aimed at tightening enforcement of Alabama’s seafood labeling law and increasing penalties for restaurants that fail to comply.
Brown announced Monday that he filed House Bill 444 (HB444) a measure he says is needed to close gaps in the current statute and ensure diners know exactly where their seafood comes from.
“Our current labeling law is designed to inform consumers and encourage restaurants to use seafood products harvested in Alabama, but too many owners are exploiting loopholes or simply refusing to follow its requirements,” Brown said. “This legislation adds sharp teeth to the statute and includes strong penalties for restaurants that continue thumbing their noses at State law.”
Under existing law, restaurants must disclose on menus or visible signage whether seafood is domestic or imported. They must also state whether fish or shrimp is farm-raised or wild-caught. While civil fines may be imposed by the Alabama Department of Public Health for violations, Brown argues enforcement has been uneven.
HB444 would expand that enforcement in several ways.
The bill requires a five-point deduction from a restaurant’s publicly posted health score if it fails to meet seafood labeling rules. Those sanitation grades are issued by the Health Department and are often displayed near entrances for public view.
It also authorizes the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries to conduct genetic testing on seafood served in restaurants. The testing would verify whether the product matches its claimed country of origin.
In addition, the measure removes signage as a stand-alone option for disclosure. Instead, restaurants would be required to list country-of-origin information directly on their menus. The bill further directs the Health Department to regularly inspect food service establishments for compliance and to publish the names and addresses of violators.
HB444 is scheduled to take effect Oct. 1, 2026, if passed by the Legislature and signed into law. The proposal has been referred to the Alabama House Health Committee for consideration.
Alabama first adopted its seafood labeling law in 2024 following a high-profile case in Mississippi in which a restaurant admitted to selling imported frozen fish marketed as fresh Gulf catch. Lawmakers at the time said the goal was to protect consumers and support local seafood producers.
Brown said HB444 builds on that effort by strengthening oversight and adding clearer consequences for noncompliance.
The full text of HB444 as introduced is available at THIS LINK.
