This publication includes only enactments of interest to education.

2017 Regular Legislative Session Enacted Legislation

ActSynopsis

2017-120 Changes the dates of the annual back-to-school sales tax holiday from the week beginning the first Friday in August to the third Friday in July each year. S.136 (Melson) Effective April 29,2017.

 

2017-171 Amends the Alabama Community College System designation to a corporate body; authorizes its employees to participate in the Teachers’ Retirement System of Alabama and State Employees’ Health Insurance Plan; specifies that employees of community and technical colleges participate in the Teachers’ Retirement System of Alabama and Public Education Employees’ Health Insurance Plan; provides for the acquisition, conveyance and disposal of property. H.163 (McMillan) Effective April 20, 2017.

 

2017-173 Requires K-12 students to pass a civics test (U.S. naturalization test) as a component of the government course in the high school course of study beginning in the 2018-19 school year; authorizes local boards to determine implementation of the test; provides a special education exemption and allows the chief school administrator to grant a waiver for good cause. S.32 (Orr) Effective July 1, 2017.

 

2017-259 Grants military recruiters of the United States Armed Forces and Department of Homeland Security the same information and access to students as granted to prospective employers or postsecondary institutions. S.203 (Holtzclaw) Effective August 1, 2017.

 

2017-278 Allows students in public and non-public schools to possess and use FDA-regulated, over-the-counter sunscreen without a physician’s order. S.63 (McClendon) Effective May 16, 2017.

 

2017-335 Appropriates $6.42 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, 2018. S.129 (Orr) Effective October 1, 2017.

 

2017-337 Requires health benefit plans to cover Applied Behavior Analysis treatment for children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder; benefits are subject to an age-based sliding scale and capped at the age of 18. H.284 (Patterson) Effective October 1, 2017.

 

2017-354 Creates the Alabama Memorial Preservation Act of 2017 and establishes a Committee on Alabama Monument Protection; prohibits the relocation, removal, alteration, renaming or other disturbance of architecturally significant or memorial buildings in place for more than 40 years; provides a waiver process for those buildings in place 20 to 40 years; exempts K-12 and post-secondary from the structural prohibitions; requires a waiver to rename K-12 or post-secondary memorial schools in place for more than 20 years. S.60 (Allen) Effective May 24, 2017.

 

2017-368 Requires a local board of education to provide information about the influenza disease and vaccine whenever other health information is provided to parents and guardians. H.381 (Daniels) Effective August 1, 2017.

 

2017-374 Creates the Alabama Youth Residential Facility Abuse Prevention Act; establishes state registration, regulation and accountability measures for faith-based, church nonprofit or for-profit alternative facilities and programs that require a minimum 24-hour on-site residency for children; requires criminal background checks for employees and volunteers. H.440 (McMillan) Effective May 24, 2017.

 

2017-401 Requires the state Department of Education to implement an electronic notification system to allow local school systems to enter information regarding school delays, early releases, shelter-in-place and other emergency information in a central repository accessible by the department and governor. H.89 (Baker) Effective August 1, 2017.

 

2017-421 Creates the Farm-to-School Procurement Act; allows federal school nutrition funds to be used to purchase unprocessed agricultural products pursuant to the federal simplified acquisition threshold as an exception to the competitive bid process for local boards of education. H.53 (Beech) Effective May 26, 2017.

 

 

Local Bills

 

2017-84 Covington County: Establishes residency requirements for future members of the local board of education when qualifying for office and the entire term of office; requires candidate to be elected by qualified voters not served by a separate city board of education. H.317 (Jones) Effective March 29, 2017.

 

2017-151 Shelby County: Proposes a constitutional amendment that, if approved by voters, would require members of the county board of education and superintendent to be elected by voters residing outside the corporate limits of any city with a separate board of education. S.62 (McClendon) Effective April 18, 2017.

 

2017-303 Mobile County: Removes the requirement that certain sales of school property and leases by the local board be approved by the judge of probate. H.389 (Pringle) Effective May 16, 2017.

 

2017-306 St. Clair County: Amends the boundaries of the five single-member board of education districts to be elected by voters within specific school district attendance zones; requires such residence of the candidate for at least 90 consecutive days preceding the qualifying deadline and during the term of office; provides two members of the board shall be elected at-large by all qualified voters. H.517 (Hill) Effective August 1, 2017.

 

2017-308 Pike County: Authorizes the board of education to insure school building and property through the State Insurance Fund or a private insurance company. H.538 (Hill) Effective May 15, 2017.

 

2017-447 Baldwin County: Reapportions the proceeds of a 1984 penny sales tax (made permanent by the county commission in January 2017); 55 percent goes to the county commission, of which 20 percent is earmarked for roads and bridges; 40 percent to the board of education; and 5 percent to the Coastal Alabama Community College in Bay Minette. H.495 (McMillan) Effective June 1, 2018.

 

2017-450 Phenix City: Authorizes the Phenix City Council to call a referendum that, if approved by voters, would provide for the election of the Phenix City Board of Education; sets the referendum election date as August 28, 2018; if approved, two board members would be elected from each city council district and one member elected at-large in conjunction with Phenix City Council elections in August 2020. H.555 (Bandy) Effective May 26, 2017.

 

2017-68 Lowndes County: Authorizes an increase in compensation to the board of education to $1,000 per month. S.121 (Sanders) Effective March 14, 2017.

 

2017-435 Lowndes County: Clarifies that the $1,000 per month in compensation for members of the board of education would be in lieu of any other compensation, salary or expense allowance provided by law; provides such compensation becomes effective following passage of a resolution by a majority of board members. S.374 (Sanders) Effective May 26, 2017.

 

 

Joint Resolutions of Interest

 

A joint resolution expresses the will of the legislature but does not have the effect of law.

 

2017-19 Urges school administrators, teachers, parents and students to be educated about the potential health impact of heavy backpacks and to take proactive measures to avoid injury. SJR 8 (Dial) Effective February 28, 2017.

 

2017-63 Readopts and amends Act 2016-480 to continue the Joint Legislative Task Force on Budget Reform; extends the date for the final report until the fifth legislative day of the 2018 regular session. SJR 52 (Marsh) Effective March 14, 2017.

 

2017-217 Creates the Alabama Community College Advisory Council on outcome-based funding. SJR 85 (Marsh) Effective May 4, 2017.

 

2017-218 Establishes the Alabama Regional In-Service Accountability Standards Committee to revise existing in-service accountability standards and to establish standards for the Alabama Science in Motion and Alabama Math, Science, and Technology Initiative programs. SJR 86 (Holley) Effective May 4, 2017.

 

2017-235 Urges teacher academic freedom regarding scientific evidence subjects. HJR 78 (Butler) Effective May 9, 2017.

 

For a copy of any act listed above, click the act number or view government records at www.sos.state.al.us.

For questions, call AASB at 334/277-9700.

 

Lissa Tucker, AASB Director of Governmental Relations