Capital Pulse - March 6, 2026

ALABAMA EDUCATION ASSOCIATION The Capital

P U LSE

Your Weekly Legislative Update

MARCH 6, 2026 THE RUNDOWN The Alabama Legislature reconvened on Tuesday, March 3, for the 18th 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 19 legislative days now completed, 11 days remain in the session.

EDUCATION BUDGET UPDATE The House is expected to release its proposed education budget next week. Be on the lookout for ACTION ALERTS and special updates as more information becomes available and the budget process moves forward in the Legislature.

MOVING THIS WEEK HB75, by Rep. Chad Robertson, requires public high schools to excuse students from class and provide reasonable accommodations for participation in National Signing Day activities related to athletic scholarships, postsecondary commitments, apprenticeships, or military enlistments. HB75 passed the House on Tuesday and can now be taken up by the Senate.

HB380, by Rep. Terri Collins, proposes a constitutional amendment establishing a formal process for two or more contiguous county school systems to consolidate into a single multicounty system, requiring a State Board of Education impact study and public posting, allowing voter protest that can trigger a countywide referendum, and directing the State Board to adopt implementation rules. HB380 passed the House on Tuesday and can now be taken up by the Senate.

SB5, by Sen. Gerald Allen, proposes a constitutional amendment requiring weekly performances of the first stanza of the national anthem in public schools. SB5 passed the Senate on Tuesday and can now be taken up by the House.

HB517, by Rep. James Lomax, creates the Talent Readiness and Industry Needs Act to allow businesses to loan qualified employees to teach designated high demand career and technical education programs at public high schools, local education agencies, and Alabama community colleges, establishes a workforce teaching certificate with streamlined certification and training requirements, and provides employers with a capped state tax credit for the portion of salary paid during the teaching assignment. HB517 passed the House on Thursday and can now be taken up by the Senate.

MOVING THIS WEEK (CONTINUED) HB520, by Rep. Marcus Paramore, requires the State Board of Education to create an expedited certification pathway for individuals who previously taught career and technical education courses in another state, allowing eligible applicants who meet specified experience, degree, background check, and recommendation requirements to receive an Alabama CTE teaching certificate without additional testing or coursework. HB520 passed the House on Thursday and can now be taken up by the Senate.

HB420, by Rep. Mack Butler, would increase the penalty for discharging a firearm into an occupied school bus or school building from a Class B felony to a Class A felony. HB420 passed the House on Thursday and can now be taken up by the Senate.

HB2, by Rep. David Standridge, renames the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America for state and local use and requires public entities, including public schools, to reflect the name change in new materials while allowing historical use of the former name for instructional purposes. HB2 received a favorable report in the House County & Municipal Government Committee and can now be considered by the entire House.

HB43, by Rep. Reed Ingram, proposes a constitutional amendment requiring daily recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools. HB43 received a favorable report from the House Education Policy Committee and can now be considered by the entire House.

HB216, by Rep. Mark Gidley, requires local boards of education to display the Ten Commandments, with a specified context statement, in certain history classrooms and school common areas for grades five through 12 when donated displays or donated funds are available. HB216 received a favorable report from the House Education Policy Committee and can now be considered by the entire House.

HB396, by Rep. Terri Collins, revises the A-F school grading system by changing how grades are calculated for schools with and without 12th grade, increasing the weight of college and career readiness measures, requiring workforce outcome tracking after graduation, and creating a standing Accountability Council to review and recommend changes to the state accountability system. HB396 was carried over in the House Education Policy Committee.

SB272, by Sen. Arthur Orr, requires custodians of public records relating to public contracts to redact financial account and sensitive identifying information, prohibits the use or sale of names and addresses obtained from local board of education public records for commercial solicitation, authorizes civil penalties enforced by the Attorney General, and allows the State Board of Education to adopt implementation guidance. SB272 received a favorable report from the House Judiciary Committee and can now be considered by the entire House.

HB511, by Rep. Reed Ingram, proposes a constitutional amendment requiring each local board of education to adopt a policy requiring public K-12 schools to conduct The Pledge of Allegiance and a prayer at the beginning of each school day, authorizes investigations of violations by the State Superintendent of Education, and requires withholding 25% of state funding from local boards that show a continued pattern of intentional noncompliance.

HB511 received a favorable report from the House State Government Committee and can now be considered 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 20272028 school year on a space available basis with fees equal to public school students, while permitting full-time 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 Senate Finance & Taxation Education Committee and can now be taken up by the entire Senate.

MOVING THIS WEEK (CONTINUED) SB280, by Sen. Jabo Waggoner, allows teachers and state employees to purchase up to 10 years of service credit in the Employees’ Retirement System or the Teachers’ Retirement System for qualifying federal public service, subject to existing eligibility, cost, and certification requirements. SB280 received a favorable report in the Senate Finance & Taxation Education Committee and can now be taken up by the entire Senate.

INTRODUCED THIS WEEK HB533, by Rep. Margie Wilcox, expands the forms of epinephrine that students may carry and self-administer and that schools may stock and administer to include any Food and Drug Administration-approved single-dose premeasured epinephrine delivery system used to treat life-threatening allergic reactions.

HB567, by Rep. Jeremy Gray, creates the Student Athlete Eligibility and Career Transition Act requiring public high schools to track student athlete academic progress toward NCAA eligibility beginning in ninth grade, provide annual eligibility updates to families, develop individualized postsecondary transition plans by 11th grade, and coordinate exposure to college, military, and workforce opportunities with guidance and oversight from the State Department of Education.

HB572, by Rep. Arnold Mooney, proposes a constitutional amendment requiring local boards of education to adopt policies requiring each public K-12 school to broadcast or permit the performance of the first stanza of The Star Spangled Banner at least once each week during school hours.

SB335, by Sen. Gerald Allen, and HB540, by Rep. Arnold Mooney, creates the American History and Civics Excellence Initiative within the State Department of Education, establishes a minimum 50 hour online course for high school teachers to earn an American History and Civics Seal of Excellence endorsement, authorizes appointment of a program director subject to Senate confirmation, and provides a one-time $3,000 stipend for teachers who complete the course and receive the endorsement subject to legislative appropriation.

SB342, by Sen. Clyde Chambliss, and HB563, by Rep. Danny Garrett, create enforcement mechanisms for the CHOOSE Act athletic eligibility nondiscrimination provision by allowing CHOOSE Act participants to file civil actions against interscholastic athletic associations that restrict athletic participation based solely on a student’s CHOOSE Act status and authorizing courts to grant injunctive relief, damages, and attorney fees.

SB344, by Sen. Arthur Orr, and HB565, by Rep. Danny Garrett, create the College and Higher Education Excellence and Results Act to establish a CHEER Fund providing bonus funding to public universities and Alabama Community College System institutions that meet specified student success, workforce, research, and performance outcomes, and establishes an Outcomes Based Higher Education Funding Coordinating Committee to set performance measures and oversee the program.

Thus far, 933 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!

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ALABAMA EDUCATION ASSOCIATION