App store age verification bill dies in committee
A bill that would require app marketplaces like the Google Play Store or Apple App Store to verify a user’s age before granting unrestricted access died in an Alabama House committee on Tuesday.
Carried by Sen. Clyde Chambliss, R-Prattville, Senate Bill 187 would mandate that app marketplaces link a user’s account to a verified parent account in cases where the user is a minor, and would require the parent’s consent for a minor to download or purchase apps or make in-app purchases. Noncompliance could see app marketplaces issued civil penalties of up to $50,000 per violation, with no cap.
The bill was one of a pair of bills introduced by Chambliss to establish more guardrails around minors’ access to smartphones, with the other bill, Senate Bill 186, which would require smartphones and tablets to have obscene content filters enabled automatically, faring much better, having already been delivered to Gov. Kay Ivey for final approval.
Both bills were modeled after similar legislation that had already been adopted into law in Utah.
Alabama high school juniors, seniors can attend college full-time under new law
A new law could reshape how Alabama students think about high school and college – and potentially fast-track some to a college degree at no cost.
Beginning with the 2026-27 school year, high school juniors and seniors will be able to attend participating colleges full-time at no cost through the Move On When Ready Act, Senate Bill 196, sponsored by Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur.
Students could earn both a high school diploma and a college degree simultaneously.
While some students already earn credits through dual enrollment, this program is significantly different. Once a student chooses to attend a participating college, they are no longer considered a high school student and cannot participate in high school activities.
High schools must inform students about the program beginning in middle school, and school counselors are required to help students and parents navigate the process.
College coursework may count toward high school graduation. The law directs the state board of education and college representatives to determine which courses are “substantially equivalent” to high school courses so they can fulfill graduation requirements.
A key benefit: Students will have no out-of-pocket costs for qualifying coursework. Courses will be funded through the new Move On When Ready Fund, and the student’s school district will receive less funding the following year.
The bill gained final passage Tuesday.
Bill to reduce teacher paperwork requirements gets final passage
Lawmakers on Tuesday gave final passage to a bill aimed at reducing paperwork for K-12 public school teachers.
Senate Bill 280, sponsored by Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, requires the Alabama State Department of Education to create a unified digital platform to consolidate required documentation for the Alabama Literacy and Numeracy Acts, along with other reporting requirements.
“This bill is meant to streamline paperwork,” said Rep. Terri Collins, R-Decatur. She noted that schools already use PowerSchool, a digital platform for entering student data.
Rep. Alan Baker, R-Brewton, said the measure will help eliminate the need for teachers to enter the same information in multiple places. “That’s what this bill is attempting to do,” he said. “Helping to better streamline (paperwork) for the teachers who so value their instructional time.”
The bill also establishes a task force to advise the department on reducing the paperwork burden many teachers have criticized.
The Alabama Public Education Paperwork Reduction Committee will include teachers across grades and subjects, one principal, and instructional staff. Members will serve two-year terms, appointed by the State Board of Education following an application process vetted by the State Superintendent. The committee will meet quarterly.
New Alabama law offers second chance at high school diploma
Lawmakers gave final passage Tuesday to the REACH Act, House Bill 266, which aims to help more Alabamians who left high school without a diploma to earn one through the Alabama Community College System.
Sponsored by Rep. Matt Woods, R-Jasper, the Restoring Educational Advancement of Completing High School (REACH) Act codifies and expands a partnership that has existed since 2016 between the Alabama Department of Education and the Alabama Community College System.
The bill mandates that the Alabama Department of Education share contact information for students who leave high school without graduating with the Community College System, which will then reach out with information about diploma completion opportunities through its adult education programs.
“I believe that this bill allows us to reach one of the most vulnerable segments of our population in a way that can have them become a greater part of our workforce,” Woods said during a House Education Policy committee meeting. “Students without a high school diploma are at a much higher risk of being chronically unemployed, underemployed or incarcerated.”
Since the program began in 2016, more than 2,100 students have earned their high school diploma through the nontraditional option, according to ACCS. State data show that between 2,000 and 3,000 students leave high school each year without earning a diploma.