Capital Pulse - January 30, 2026

ALABAMA EDUCATION ASSOCIATION The Capital

P U LSE

Your Weekly Legislative Update

JANUARY 30, 2026 THE RUNDOWN The Alabama Legislature reconvened on Tuesday, January 27, for the seventh legislative day of the 2026 Regular Session. Lawmakers met in both chambers on Tuesday and Thursday, while Wednesday was dedicated to committee meetings, where several education-related bills made progress. With eight legislative days now completed, 22 days remain in the session.

MOVING THIS WEEK SB158, by Sen. Randy Price, requires each public high school to designate one school day during the fall semester for military recruiters to administer the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) to students on a voluntary basis. SB158 passed the Senate on Tuesday and can now be taken up by the House.

HB78, by Rep. Jeana Ross, requires the Department of Early Childhood Education, in collaboration with the Department of Human Resources and the State Department of Education, to establish screen time guidelines. The guidelines prohibit screen time for children under the age of 2, limit screen time for older children to age-appropriate amounts, require active supervision, and ban background and passive screen use. Licensed childcare facilities, prekindergarten programs, and public kindergarten classrooms must implement these limits through licensure oversight or local board policy. HB78 passed the House on Tuesday and can now be taken up in the Senate.

HB225, by Rep. Van Smith, reduces the required posting period from 14 to seven calendar days for filling supervisory, managerial, or newly created board of education personnel positions when schools are in session. HB225 passed the House on Tuesday and can now be taken up by the Senate.

HB168, by Rep. Jamie Kiel, expands the loitering exemption to allow wearing medical masks at public assemblies for disease mitigation and authorizes local boards of education and public institutions of higher education to adopt and enforce campus mask policies. HB168 passed the House on Tuesday and can now be taken up by the Senate.

MOVING THIS WEEK (CONTINUED) SB59, by Sen. Arthur Orr, would require annual funding reports from public colleges and universities and remove the Alabama Community College System (ACCS) from federal reporting.

SB59 was amended and received a favorable report in the Senate Finance & Taxation Education Committee on Wednesday, and can now be taken up by the entire Senate.

SB149, by Sen. Matt Woods, and HB306, by Rep. Rick Rehm, create a temporary teaching certificate for military veterans who have at least 48 months of honorable active-duty service, 60 college credit hours with a minimum 2.5 GPA, a passing Praxis content exam score, a background check, and a recommendation from a local superintendent or private school administrator.

SB149 and HB306 received favorable reports from the House Education Policy Committee on Wednesday. Both bills can now be taken up by the entire House.

SB168, by Sen. Donnie Chesteen, prohibits public K-12 schools and educator preparation programs from using the three-cueing system or visual memory to teach reading. It also requires reading instruction and materials to be based on structured literacy and the science of reading.

SB168 received a favorable report in the House Education Policy Committee on Wednesday and can now be taken up by the entire House.

HB183, by Rep. Susan DuBose, allows homeschool students to enroll as nontraditional students in public school career and technical education programs beginning in the 2027-2028 school year on a space available basis with fees equal to public school students, while permitting fulltime stand-alone Career Technical Education (CTE) schools to opt in and requiring State Board and local board rules. HB183 received a favorable report in the House Education Policy Committee on Wednesday and can now be taken up by the entire House.

HB188, by Rep. Alan Baker, broadens the offense of making a terrorist threat in the second degree by removing the requirement that a threat be credible or imminent and increases penalties for repeat offenses. HB188 was amended and received a favorable report in the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday. It can now be taken up by the entire House.

HB189, by Rep. Alan Baker, requires juvenile courts to provide written notice to a local superintendent or private school principal when an enrolled student is charged with, or adjudicated delinquent for, specified serious offenses. The bill also authorizes such notice for other delinquent acts that would be crimes if committed by an adult. HB189 received a favorable report from the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday and can now be taken up by the entire House.

HB290, by Rep. Juandalynn Givan, requires public school systems and other education employers to provide employees with reasonable break time and a private, non-bathroom location to express breast milk and prohibits discrimination related to exercising this right. HB290 received a favorable report in committee and can now be taken up by the entire House.

HB122, by Rep. Terri Collins, limits future TEAMS advanced contracts, beginning October 1, 2026, to the contract lengths otherwise authorized by statute, which is up to three years for teachers with more than 20 years of service. HB122 passed the House on Thursday and can now be taken up by the Senate.

INTRODUCED THIS WEEK SB209, by Sen. Shay Shelnutt, would amend state law to require public K–12 sex education and human reproductive process instruction to exclusively teach sexual risk avoidance and abstinence, prohibit such instruction in kindergarten through fourth grade, restrict curriculum content and outside providers, require advance parental notice with an opt-out option, and authorize enforcement by the Attorney General.

SB211, by Sen. Gerald Allen, would amend state law to expand sick leave bank eligibility to all local boards of education and public two- and four-year institutions, require the State Board of Education to adopt a uniform model sick leave policy, remove caps on catastrophic leave donations, and authorize direct donation of sick leave between education employees across different educational authorities beginning with the 2027–2028 school year.

HB333, by Rep. Brock Colvin, would require athletic associations to adjust a public high school’s athletic classification to reflect the number of English language learners enrolled at the school who do not participate in athletics.

HB334, by Rep. Brock Colvin, would prohibit future employees of the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) from participating in the Teachers’ Retirement System (TRS) of Alabama.

HB336, by Rep. Penni McClammy, would eliminate the state sales and use tax on food on September 1, 2026, and allow local governments to adopt companion exemptions for local sales and use taxes.

HB339, by Rep. Kenyatté Hassell, would provide for a benefit increase for certain eligible retirees of the Teachers’ Retirement System (TRS) on October 1, 2026.

HB340, by Rep. Jeremy Gray, would allow high school student athletes to receive compensation for the use of their name, image, or likeness. This bill would also set requirements for compensating high school student athletes for the use of their name, image, or likeness.

HB353, by Rep. Mack Butler, would require local school districts to establish an Advanced Math Pathway for middle and high school students, set assessment-based enrollment criteria, provide parent notification and opt-in or opt-out options, offer student supports, and require annual reporting to the Legislature on enrollment and performance in advanced math courses.

Thus far, 602 bills have been introduced by the Legislature. AEA staff continues to read each bill and monitors them daily to ensure they will positively affect public education.

Remember, while you’re busy serving our state’s students, we’ve got your back in the Alabama Legislature!

Get the Capital Pulse straight to your phone!

Text AEA to 52886.

ALABAMA EDUCATION ASSOCIATION