This bill modifies the Teachers' Retirement System to provide a longevity bonus to certain retirees and their beneficiaries. The key provision establishes that eligible individuals receiving monthly allowances from the system on or before September 30, 2026, will receive an additional bonus payment. The legislation also requires funding to be appropriated to the Teachers' Retirement System to cover these bonus payments. This change directly affects teachers and other public employees who are already retired and drawing benefits from the system. The bill is currently under consideration by the Senate Committee on Finance and Taxation Education.
This bill is a commendation resolution honoring Houston County Schools for their outstanding achievements in education. It recognizes specific awards won by school staff at the Alabama Council of Administrators of Special Education conference, including Director of the Year for Dr. Misty Freeman and Teacher of the Year honors for Margaret Valenza and Haden Brown. The resolution also acknowledges the district receiving the Top County System Performance Award for ranking first among all 67 Alabama counties on achievement scores. This legislative action serves as an official expression of appreciation from the Alabama Legislature for the district's performance and does not create new laws or funding.
This bill expands the types of single-dose epinephrine devices that schools and authorized entities in Alabama are permitted to carry and use to treat life-threatening allergic reactions. Currently, only specific autoinjector devices are approved for student self-administration and school stockpiling, but this legislation would allow any FDA-approved premeasured single-dose epinephrine system to be used for this purpose. The changes apply to public and nonpublic schools, school staff, and students who have received proper medical authorization and training for self-administration. The bill also maintains existing protections that shield schools and trained personnel from liability when following established protocols for emergency response to allergic reactions.
HB 376 requires Alabama public K-12 schools to implement age-appropriate screen time limits and internet access restrictions for each grade level. It mandates the State Board of Education to create a model policy for technology use in classrooms, which local school boards must adopt and implement by the 2027-2028 school year. The bill also requires schools to provide parents with access to a list of instructional technology used in their child's classroom and, upon request, details about device usage and browsing history. All instructional technology must support learning, avoid distractions, comply with privacy laws, and be evidence-based. The State Board must adopt implementing rules to enforce these requirements.
This resolution (HJR 189) is a non-binding legislative expression of support for increased funding for Career and Technical Education (CTE) in Alabama. It urges the Alabama Legislature to appropriate an additional $150 million in the 2026 session to expand CTE programs, building on prior funding of $100 million allocated for regional career technology centers. The resolution highlights that 34% of Alabama jobs by 2031 will require post-high school education below a bachelor’s degree, and CTE prepares students for key industries like bioscience and advanced materials. It directly affects Alabama’s public school districts and students participating in CTE programs by advocating for future state funding to support infrastructure and training. As a resolution, it does not allocate funds but formally recommends this action to the Legislature.
HB 377 expands Alabama's veterans' educational benefits to include graduate-level courses in medical fields for eligible dependents, such as children, spouses, and widows of veterans who were killed, disabled, missing in action, or prisoners of war. Previously, benefits covered only undergraduate studies, but this bill extends them to graduate medical programs without altering existing tuition limits. The bill maintains current caps of $400 per semester hour for tuition and $1,000 per semester for books/fees for private school students, with the change taking effect July 31, 2026.
HB 449 establishes Alabama's state lottery system by creating the Alabama Lottery Corporation to operate and regulate lottery games. It sets up the Alabama Lottery Trust Fund, directing revenue to five specific uses: problem gambling treatment, college scholarships for public two-year and four-year institutions, cost-of-living raises for education employees, hospital operation grants, and tax credits for eligible residents. The bill also creates a Board of Directors to oversee the corporation, imposes advertising restrictions to limit appeals to minors, and increases criminal penalties for violations like selling tickets to minors or counterfeiting. This bill directly affects all Alabama residents through lottery participation and the allocation of lottery revenue to state programs.
HB 489 adds independent postsecondary online institutions located in Orange Beach, Alabama, to the list of schools eligible for the Alabama Student Grant Program. This program provides state-funded grants to Alabama residents attending approved colleges and universities. The bill updates the legal code to include these institutions, requiring them to be accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. If enacted, the change would allow students at qualifying online institutions in Orange Beach to access state financial aid.
SB 311 appropriates $121 million from Alabama's Education Trust Fund to the State Department of Education for the 2026 fiscal year. It directly provides $1 million to each school designated as a "priority school" on the 2024-2025 AAA Priority School List. The funds are intended to support these specific schools, with the allocation calculated as $1 million per qualifying school. The bill becomes effective June 1, 2026.
HB 480 changes how Alabama counties and municipalities distribute sales tax revenue from the simplified sellers use tax (SSUT). It requires each county and municipality to allocate a minimum of 40% of their SSUT proceeds to local school boards serving their area, instead of keeping the funds for general use. This applies to all counties and municipalities that haven't already adopted such a policy by October 1, 2027. The bill takes effect January 1, 2028, redirecting existing sales tax revenue directly to public schools. It repeals the current monthly distribution requirement for these funds.
