BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Alabama lawmakers are entering the final stretch of the 2025 session, with just five legislative days left to pass outstanding proposals.
While a bill can technically move from filing to final passage in five days, it must become an immediate priority when the Legislature returns Tuesday to have any realistic chance of reaching the governor’s desk.
Several bills affecting public education, graduation requirements, and college campuses remain in limbo. Meanwhile, culture war measures around gender and free speech are also awaiting final approval.
Public K-12 schools are heavily regulated, with lawmakers having broad authority over everything from reading curriculum to bathroom access. Several proposals that could reshape students’ daily lives at school and beyond are still making their way through the Legislature.
Cell phones in schools
Two bills restricting student cell phone use during the instructional day are moving toward final passage. Senate Bill 92, sponsored by Sen. Donnie Chesteen, R-Geneva, and House Bill 166, sponsored by Rep. Leigh Hulsey, R-Helena, are both known as the FOCUS — Freeing our Classrooms of Unnecessary Screens for Safety — Act.
The bills were initially identical, but each chamber’s committee made tweaks that will need to be reconciled. Gov. Kay Ivey has called the FOCUS Act a priority, mentioning it in her state of the state speech.
“Our phones and social media are fantastic tools, but we have to know the time, the place and how to use them,” Ivey said. “Let’s create the best learning environment for our students and get this bill to my desk so I can sign it into law.”
Bible study release time proposal
Another bill affecting school policy, Senate Bill 278 by Sen. Shay Shelnutt, R-Trussville, would require local school boards to adopt a policy allowing students to leave campus for religious instruction. Supporters say the bill respects local control by letting boards set their own parameters, while opponents argue it imposes an unnecessary mandate.
SB278 is now headed to the House Education Policy Committee, where a similar bill sponsored by Rep. Susan DuBose, R-Hoover, failed to advance.
Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth championed the bill’s passage.
“Two days after the world celebrated Jesus’ resurrection, the Alabama Senate passed a bill allowing public school students to participate in off-campus Bible instruction during school hours,” he said on X recently. “Thank you to the Senators who voted YES and stood tall in support of religious freedom.”
Culture war bills
Two controversial bills are still in play as the session winds down.
House Bill 244, sponsored by Rep. Mack Butler, R-Gadsden, would expand current restrictions on classroom discussions of sexual orientation and gender identity. The ban, which now applies from kindergarten through fifth grade, would extend to prekindergarten through twelfth grade under Butler’s proposal. It would also prohibit public school employees from displaying flags or symbols representing sexual orientation or gender identity in classrooms.
It passed the House and is scheduled for a public hearing in the Senate Education Policy Committee on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, House Bill 246, sponsored by House Majority Leader Scott Stadthagen, R-Hartselle, would bar teachers at any level of public education from calling a student by a name or pronoun inconsistent with their biological sex without parental permission. It also protects teachers and students from disciplinary action for refusing to use preferred pronouns or names.
It received a favorable report from the House Education Policy Committee and now moves to the full House for consideration.
Graduation options: Move faster or catch up
Two bills aimed at helping students either graduate earlier or recover lost ground are also nearing final passage.
House Bill 266, the REACH Act, sponsored by Rep. Matt Woods, R-Jasper, would require the Alabama Department of Education to share information about students at risk of not graduating or who have already left school with the Alabama Community College System. The system would then work to recruit those students back into education or workforce training programs. It needs only Senate approval before heading to the governor.
Meanwhile, Senate Bill 196, the Move On When Ready Act by Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, would allow high school juniors and seniors who are ready for college-level coursework to enroll full-time in a community college. Unlike traditional dual enrollment, students would fully transition into college while still working toward a high school diploma.
It would need Senate concurrence if approved by the House.
New courses?
Two bills call for adding new coursework for students.
Senate Bill 289, sponsored by Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, would require school boards to adopt a state-created “success sequence curriculum” that teaches students steps toward economic stability, such as completing education, securing full-time work, and delaying parenthood until after marriage. Similar legislation passed recently in Tennessee and has been supported or considered in other states, including Utah and Mississippi. The bill is pending in the House Education Policy Committee.
House Bill 332, sponsored by Rep. David Faulkner, R-Mountain Brook, would require high school students starting with the Class of 2031 to take at least one computer science course to graduate. Currently, computer science classes must be offered but are not mandatory for students. The bill is awaiting action in the Senate Education Policy Committee.
Another bill, House Bill 298 by Rep. Brock Colvin, R-Albertville, could impact athletic classifications for schools with high populations of English learner students. It received a favorable committee report but stalled afterward. Colvin told Alabama Daily News his bill is on the House calendar today.
Higher education
While fewer higher education bills remain active, several proposals could create new opportunities for college students.
House Bill 273, sponsored by Rep. Terri Collins, R-Decatur, would encourage colleges to tackle food insecurity on their campuses. Schools that meet certain requirements could earn a “Hunger-Free Campus” designation and qualify for grants administered by the Alabama Commission on Higher Education. The bill does not specify grant amounts, leaving future appropriations up to lawmakers.
Ten states have adopted similar programs, with another dozen considering such legislation this year.
Scholarships for families of law enforcement and veterans
House Bill 188, sponsored by Rep. Allen Treadaway, R-Morris, would create a college scholarship program for spouses and children of law enforcement officers killed or permanently disabled in the line of duty. Scholarships would be capped at $3,000 per semester. The Education Trust Fund budget includes an initial $8 million allocation to launch the program. The bill is headed to the Senate floor for final passage.
House Bill 487, sponsored by Rep.Parker Moore, R-Hartselle, would expand eligibility for the Alabama G.I. Dependent Scholarship Program. It lowers the minimum disability rating needed for a veteran’s spouse or child to qualify from 40% to 30%. The bill awaits a vote in the Senate Education Budget Committee.
With just days remaining, lawmakers will have to prioritize which bills to advance and which ones to leave behind as the clock winds down on the 2025 session.
This story was updated to correct that Rep. Matt Woods is the sponsor of House Bill 266.