Senator Vivian Davis Figures (D)
Profile
Bio
A strong advocate for children, families, education and health issues, service is the driving force behind Senator Vivian Davis Figures. In 1993, she ran for the Mobile City Council to be a voice for the voiceless. Due to the untimely death of her husband, Senator Michael A. Figures, she was later elected in a 1997 Special Election with an 87% victory to the Alabama State Senate to serve the remainder of his term. She was re-elected in 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2018. Her election in 1997 made her the first African-American woman to be elected to the Senate from Mobile County and the second one in the state of Alabama. In 2008, Senator Figures became the first African American woman in Alabama to become the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, and she made history when she was elected by her Democratic Senate colleagues to serve as Minority Leader in 2013, making her the first woman elected to leadership in either the Senate or the House. Her 22 years of service in the Senate now makes her the longest serving female in the Alabama State Senate.
Senator Figures serves on many Senate standing committees including Finance and Taxation, Education; Rules; Judiciary; Education Policy; Confirmations; and Mobile County Local Legislation. In 2012, the Governor appointed her to serve on the Board of Trustees at Jacksonville State University. She has been appointed to many Special Task Forces, Commissions and Committees in the State of Alabama and nationally because of her commitment and dedication to education, health, children and families.
Because of her sponsorship and passage of the Alabama Clean Indoor Act, she was awarded the National Tobacco Award from the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and the Outstanding Advocate Award from the American Heart Association. In 2005 she was honored to be invited as one of 25 Leaders in Politics and Education from across the world to participate in a Roundtable Discussion on Higher Education at Oxford University in Oxford, England.
Senator Figures was featured on the front cover of the Council of State Government's September 2012 issue, Capitol Ideas, because of her strong support for individualization both in K-12 and postsecondary education, and was also featured in Governing and Glamour magazines in 2018. Among the numerous awards, recognitions and accolades Senator Figures has received throughout her career, she was chosen as a recipient of the Elected Women of Excellence by the National Foundation for Women Legislators. She was selected among 25 female state and local leaders to participate in its 2018 Women in Government Leadership Program. She received the NOBEL Women (National Organization of Black Elected Legislative Women) 2018 Lifetime Achievements Award; and the 2018 Lifetime Achievements Award from the Vernon Z. Crawford Bar Association.
Senator Figures is the proud mother of three sons, Akil, Shomari and Jelani; and one granddaughter, A'Kayle. She is a member of Living Word Christian Center, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., the Alabama New South Coalition and the Alabama Democratic Senators.
| Committee | Position |
|---|---|
Mobile County Legislation | Chairperson |
Children and Youth Health | Ranking Minority Member |
Confirmations | Member |
Education Policy | Member |
Finance and Taxation Education | Member |
Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Development | Ranking Minority Member |
Judiciary | Member |
Rules | Member |
Alabama Judicial System Study Commission | Member |
Joint Legislative Committee On Homeland Security Oversight | Member |
Permanent Joint Legislative Committee on Finances and Budget | Member |
| Legislation | Title | Status | Last Action | Last Action Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
SJR102026 Regular Session | Claudette Colvin, death mourned | Enacted | Enacted | 1/29/2026 |
SB1072026 Regular Session | Alabama Board of Funeral Services; board authorized to impose administrative fee on funeral establishments for each funeral arranged; initial application, renewal, branch registration, and transfer fees relating to a certificate of authority increased; certificate holder required to file an annual statement of preneed activities conducted; board authorized to require certificate holder to file multiple preneed activity reports annually; and initial application and renewal fees for registration as a preneed sales agent increased | Enacted | Enacted | 4/17/2026 |
SB1662026 Regular Session | Campaign finance; require preservation of campaign records for specified period of time | Enacted | Enacted | 4/17/2026 |
SB203 (c. HB257)2026 Regular Session | Crimes and procedure; crimes of indecent exposure and other sex crimes further provided to include additional victims; crime of inpatient custodial sexual misconduct, established; domestic violence offenses, further provided to include additional victims and criminal penalties | Enacted | Enacted | 4/8/2026 |
SB3002026 Regular Session | Distinctive license plates; Helping Schools plate design requirements further provided for, certain individuals eligible to receive the new license plate design at no cost | Enacted | Enacted | 4/16/2026 |
SB3152026 Regular Session | Employees' Retirement System and Teachers' Retirement System; retirees and beneficiaries, two percent cost-of-living benefit increase effective October 1, 2026 | Pending Committee Action in House of Origin | Pending Committee Action in House of Origin | 2/17/2026 |
SB3332026 Regular Session | Class 2 municipalities; industrial development boards, powers amended | Enacted | Enacted | 4/7/2026 |
SB3462026 Regular Session | Mobile County; local privilege tax on historical horse racing, levied | Pending Committee Action in Second House | Third Reading in Second House | 4/1/2026 |
SB191 (c. HB322)2025 Regular Session | Post-partum depression; to require Medicaid coverage and provide for education and screening . | Indefinitely Postponed in House of Origin | Currently Indefinitely Postponed | 5/6/2025 |
SB199 (c. HB327)2025 Regular Session | State employees; paid parental leave authorized, parameters for eligibility established | Enacted | Enacted | 4/2/2025 |
SB2302025 Regular Session | SNAP benefits; require reimbursement to recipients for stolen benefits | Pending Committee Action in House of Origin | Pending Committee Action in House of Origin | 3/6/2025 |
SB259 (c. HB459)2025 Regular Session | University of South Alabama; membership of Board of Trustees revised, meetings of the board further provided for | Enacted | Enacted | 5/6/2025 |
SB132024 Regular Session | Abortion; right to make reproductive decisions, established; state prohibited from restricting abortion in certain circumstances | Pending Committee Action in House of Origin | Pending Committee Action in House of Origin | 2/6/2024 |
SB852024 Regular Session | State Holidays, move Robert E. Lee observance to October, nonsubstantive revisions | Pending Committee Action in House of Origin | Pending Committee Action in House of Origin | 2/8/2024 |
SB952024 Regular Session | Tobacco products; electronic nicotine delivery systems, use or possession of device, prohibited without regard to particular substance used therein | Enacted | Enacted | 4/16/2024 |
SJR102026 Regular Session
Senate Joint Resolution
Claudette Colvin, death mourned
Status: Enacted
Last Action: 1/29/2026 Enacted
SB1072026 Regular Session
Occupational Licensing Boards
Alabama Board of Funeral Services; board authorized to impose administrative fee on funeral establishments for each funeral arranged; initial application, renewal, branch registration, and transfer fees relating to a certificate of authority increased; certificate holder required to file an annual statement of preneed activities conducted; board authorized to require certificate holder to file multiple preneed activity reports annually; and initial application and renewal fees for registration as a preneed sales agent increased
Status: Enacted
Last Action: 4/17/2026 Enacted
SB1662026 Regular Session
Elections, Voting, & Campaigns
Campaign finance; require preservation of campaign records for specified period of time
Status: Enacted
Last Action: 4/17/2026 Enacted
SB2032026 Regular Session
Crimes & Offenses
Crimes and procedure; crimes of indecent exposure and other sex crimes further provided to include additional victims; crime of inpatient custodial sexual misconduct, established; domestic violence offenses, further provided to include additional victims and criminal penalties
Status: Enacted
Last Action: 4/8/2026 Enacted
Companion: HB257 - Givens
SB3002026 Regular Session
Motor Vehicles & Traffic
Distinctive license plates; Helping Schools plate design requirements further provided for, certain individuals eligible to receive the new license plate design at no cost
Status: Enacted
Last Action: 4/16/2026 Enacted
SB3152026 Regular Session
Retirement
Employees' Retirement System and Teachers' Retirement System; retirees and beneficiaries, two percent cost-of-living benefit increase effective October 1, 2026
Status: Pending Committee Action in House of Origin
Last Action: 2/17/2026 Pending Committee Action in House of Origin
SB3332026 Regular Session
Counties & Municipalities
Class 2 municipalities; industrial development boards, powers amended
Status: Enacted
Last Action: 4/7/2026 Enacted
SB3462026 Regular Session
Mobile County
Mobile County; local privilege tax on historical horse racing, levied
Status: Pending Committee Action in Second House
Last Action: 4/1/2026 Third Reading in Second House
SB1912025 Regular Session
Health
Post-partum depression; to require Medicaid coverage and provide for education and screening .
Status: Indefinitely Postponed in House of Origin
Last Action: 5/6/2025 Currently Indefinitely Postponed
Companion: HB322 - Holk-Jones
SB1992025 Regular Session
Labor & Employment
State employees; paid parental leave authorized, parameters for eligibility established
Status: Enacted
Last Action: 4/2/2025 Enacted
Companion: HB327 - Shaver
SB2302025 Regular Session
Government Administration
SNAP benefits; require reimbursement to recipients for stolen benefits
Status: Pending Committee Action in House of Origin
Last Action: 3/6/2025 Pending Committee Action in House of Origin
SB2592025 Regular Session
Education
University of South Alabama; membership of Board of Trustees revised, meetings of the board further provided for
Status: Enacted
Last Action: 5/6/2025 Enacted
Companion: HB459 - Pringle
SB132024 Regular Session
Constitutional Amendments Statewide
Abortion; right to make reproductive decisions, established; state prohibited from restricting abortion in certain circumstances
Status: Pending Committee Action in House of Origin
Last Action: 2/6/2024 Pending Committee Action in House of Origin
SB852024 Regular Session
Government Administration
State Holidays, move Robert E. Lee observance to October, nonsubstantive revisions
Status: Pending Committee Action in House of Origin
Last Action: 2/8/2024 Pending Committee Action in House of Origin
SB952024 Regular Session
Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco
Tobacco products; electronic nicotine delivery systems, use or possession of device, prohibited without regard to particular substance used therein
Status: Enacted
Last Action: 4/16/2024 Enacted