The Alabama House of Representatives wrapped up today’s 2025 legislative session with the annual presentation of the Shroud Award, which recognizes “The Session’s Most Deadested Bill.”

This tongue-in-cheek honor, established by former House Representative Earl Mitchell back in 1979, is given to the sponsors of bills deemed least likely to pass. The award is humorously represented by burial suits placed in cardboard boxes. Recipients are expected to accept the award with good humor, despite the public acknowledgment that their bill didn’t attract any support.

This year’s award went to State Assemblyman Ron Bolton (R-Northport) for his bill regarding the Child Passenger Restraint System, known as HB18.

Although the intention behind the bill was clear, many criticized its complexity and the impracticality of the proposed regulations. This led to pushback from lawmakers across the political spectrum. One particularly sharp critique came from Representative Marcus Paramore, who remarked that the bill’s provisions would make driving to work “nearly impossible.”

This year’s Shroud Award – The award given to the Legislative Conference Worst Performance Bill in Alabama will be awarded to HB18 Lombolton lawmakers who raise age and weight requirements for children’s car seats.#alpolitics pic.twitter.com/mbtzuas7fh

– Alexander Willis (@ReporterWillis) May 14, 2025

During the award ceremony, House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter and other leaders discussed the complicated nature of the rejected legislation while also celebrating Bolton’s good-natured acceptance of the award. Bolton aimed to revise Alabama’s Vehicle Safety Act and received applause as he joined the lineup of previous Shroud Award recipients.

The Shroud Award has become a humorous tradition that highlights the unpredictability of Alabama’s legislative process. Previous honorees have included bills of varying controversies, such as a 2019 proposal to regulate fertilizers created from solid human waste.

The event often features playful critiques of unsuccessful bills, likening them to NASCAR failures. Bolton’s bill, whimsically dubbed “strap them down and special buckle-ups,” has been said to have stalled before it even left the starting line.

Despite the lighthearted jabs, Bolton took the recognition in stride, signing the back of the Shroud Award plaque and embracing his spot among past awardees.