2013 Enacted Legislation

 

General Bills (click Act #)   Synopsis 

2013-064 Establishes the Alabama Accountability Act of 2013, relating to public K-12 education;  authorizes the establishment of innovative schools and school systems in the state; authorizes local school boards to seek waiver of state laws and regulations in exchange for identified performance goals through a flexibility contract with the state Board of Education; creates an income tax credit program for parents who transfer students from failing schools to non-public schools; creates an  education scholarship program for students in failing schools to attend non-public schools. AMENDED BY ACT 2013-265 (see below)Effective March 14, 2013.(H.84)

2013-069 Provides supplemental appropriations for the 2013 fiscal year from the Education Trust Fund for the following:$10.8 million for the Department of Commerce; $5.3 million to the Department of Veterans’ Affairs; authorizes unexpended 2012 and 2013 fiscal year funds to remain with Jacksonville State University for the Alabama Film Initiative Program and Little River Canyon Field School; and authorizes $2.3 million of unexpended funds to remain at the state Department of Education for the  Alabama Science in Motion Program. Effective March 19, 2013. (S.138) 

2013-167Appropriates $9,069,227 from the Education Trust Fund to Tuskegee University for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2014, a $127,000 increase. Effective October 1, 2013.(H.167) 

2013-168  Appropriates $273,276 from the Education Trust Fund to Lyman Ward Military Academy for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2014, a $100,000 increase.  Effective October 1, 2013.(H.168)

2013-169 Appropriates $632,997 from the Education Trust Fund to Talladega College for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2014, a $50,000 increase. Effective October 1, 2013.(H.169)

2013-214 Provides supplemental appropriations for the 2013 fiscal year from the Education Trust Fund for the following:$1 million to the Department of Rehabilitation Services; $1 million to the Institute for Deaf and Blind; $400,000 to the Department of Archives and History; $500,000 to the state Legislature; $250,000 to the Public Library Service; $150,000 to the School of Math and Science; $150,000 to the School of Fine Arts; $430,000 to the Department of Homeland Security to expand active shooter training and the Virtual Alabama program; and $2,316,462 from the Education Technology Fund to the state Department of Education for the Alabama Science in Motion Program.  Effective May 13, 2013.(H.505)

2013-215 Provides a revision of the State Minimum Salary Scale to reflect a pay increase of 2 percent beginning with the fiscal year 2013-2014 for public K-12 employees.It requires the state Department of Finance to implement a program to provide state-funded professional liability insurance for  education employees beginning July 1, 2013. Effective June 12, 2013.(H.506)  

2013-239 Alters the Board of Control of Teachers’ Retirement System of Alabama from a 14-member trustee board to a 15-member board and removes the ex officio position of the Executive Secretary of the Alabama Education Association.It adds two board member positions to be filled by members representing public four-year institutions of higher education and provides that board positions shall be elected only by members from the same category of the retirement system.It requires a third-party entity to be responsible for conducting elections.  Effective May 13, 2013.(S.303)

2013-241 Provides a tax credit for the rehabilitation, preservation and development of historic structures,with an estimated reduction of $20 million in receipts to the Education Trust Fund and General Fund. Effective May 15, 2013. (H.140)

2013-264 Appropriates $5.7 billion from the Education Trust Fund for the support, maintenance and development of public education in Alabama, for debt service and for the capital outlay for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2014.  Effective Oct. 1, 2013. (H.166)

2013-265 Amends the Alabama Accountability Act to provide that no public or non-public school can be forced to enroll a student under the act; revises the definition of failing schools; increases the tax credit to 100 percent for up to 50 percent of total tax liability for corporate contributions to the scholarship program; expands the scholarship program beyond failing schools to any eligible student after  Sept. 15 each year. Effective May 20, 2013, with provisions retroactive to March 14, 2013. (H.658) 

2013-288 Authorizes local boards of education to allow school security personnel or school resource officers to carry firearms while on duty.It requires such personnel to have Alabama Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission certification as law enforcement with annual training and active shooter training by the Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency.  Effective May 21, 2013.(S.383)

2013-310 Establishes the Educational Accountability and Intervention Act of 2013; establishes a process by which the state Board of Education, through the state superintendent of education, may exercise direct control over the decision making and operational functions of city and county school boards through intervention; establishes clear protocol for when the state intervenes for financial, health and safety, and academic reasons; allows school boards to propose an alternative plan to prevent intervention and, if intervention occurs, specifies a process to be released from intervention.  Effective May 23, 2013.(S.60)

2013-329 Requires the inclusion of a Code Red school safety plan in the comprehensive school safety plan to address events involving an act of violence or the threat of violence; requires the Code Red safety drill be conducted within the first six weeks of each fall and spring semester; provides that the plan be reviewed annually.  Effective May 23, 2013. (H.91)

2013-345 Authorizes the Alabama Public School and College Authority to issue $30 million in bonds to fund capital improvements to certain schools damaged by tornadoes including:$15 million to Murphy High School, $3 million for Alberta City Elementary, $6.4 million to Phil Campbell High School, $2.5 million to University Place Elementary School, $2.5 million to Holt Elementary School and $604,000 to Plainview High School.  Effective May 23, 2013.(H.517)

2013-347 Establishes the Charles “Chuck” Poland Jr. Act to create the crime of trespass on a school bus in the first degree as a Class A misdemeanor.  Effective Aug. 1, 2013.(H.105)

2013-381 Provides the 21st Century Workforce Act to authorize the Alabama Public School and College Authority to issue $50 million in bonds for local school boards to fund career and technical education equipment. Effective May 23, 2013. (H.102) 

 

Local Bills

2013-268 Franklin County:  Authorizes the formation of volunteer emergency security forces at county public schools consisting of current and retired school employees and local citizens.  The school principal may request and the sheriff may form an emergency security force program designating volunteers as reserve deputy sheriffs who receive training and operate under the supervision and direction of the sheriff. Effective May 20, 2013.  (H.404)

2013-321 Lee County:  Authorizes the city of Auburn, upon approval of voters, to increase a special ad valorem tax for schools from 5 mills to 14 mills.  Effective May 22, 2013.  (H.266)

2013-325 Lee County:  Authorizes the Lee County Commission, upon approval of voters, to institute a one-cent sales and use tax outside the corporate limits of the cities of Auburn, Opelika and Phenix City; provides 50 percent of tax proceeds to fund additional deputy sheriffs with an emphasis on school safety in county schools and 50 percent to fund the county parks and recreation program.  Effective August 1, 2013.  (H.435)

2013-362 Crenshaw County:  Establishes the appointment of the county superintendent of education to apply at the expiration of the current elected superintendent’s term of office or vacancy.  Effective May 1, 2013. (H.498)

2013-425 Etowah County:  Allows retired law enforcement officers who remain in good standing with the Alabama Peace Officers’ Standards and Training Commission to serve on a part-time basis as school resource officers in Etowah County schools.  Effective August 1, 2013.  (H.600)

2013-437 Tuscaloosa County:  Revises the qualifications for membership on the Tuscaloosa City Board of Education. Effective May 23, 2013.  (H.662)

2013-439 Cullman County:  Establishes the appointment of the county superintendent of education to apply at the expiration of the current elected superintendent’s term of office or vacancy.  Effective May 22, 2013. (H.669)

 

Joint Resolutions of Interest

2013-185 Encourages the Homeland Security Director to form a School Safety Stakeholder Group including education, law enforcement and emergency management communities and encourages regular meetings.  Enacted May 8, 2013. (HJR 205)

2013-186 Supports and encourages agreements between the Alabama Department of Mental Health and the Alabama Department of Education to improve support services designed to detect and treat mental and emotional disorders for Alabama’s students.  (HJR 226)

Note:  Joint resolutions express the will of the Legislature, but do not have the effect of law.

For a copy of any act listed above, view government records at www.sos.state.al.us . 
For questions, call AASB at 334/277-9700.

 

— Lissa Tucker

Lissa is Director of Governmental Relations for the Alabama Association of School Boards

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