BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – One of the more controversial bills of the past legislative session is back on the table for 2026.
With just over 200 days until lawmakers return to Montgomery, Sen. Shay Shelnutt, R-Trussville, has pre-filed Senate Bill 4, which would require all public school districts to adopt a policy allowing students to leave campus during the school day for religious instruction.
Known as “religious instruction release time,” or RIRT, the bill is a duplicate of Senate Bill 278, which cleared the Senate this year but stalled in the House. A similar House version, sponsored by Rep. Susan DuBose, R-Hoover, was defeated in a 9 – 4 vote in the Education Policy committee.
Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth was among the bill’s strongest supporters last session, vowing to bring it back “again and again and again” until it becomes law.
Shelnutt filed SB4 just a week after the 2025 session ended – a signal the issue remains a priority. He could not be reached for comment Monday afternoon.
Opponents argued that Alabama law already allows districts to create these policies if parents request them, citing a 2019 statute. They also raised concerns that mandating the requirement would interfere with local control of schools.
DuBose countered that some parents are being denied the option and that the law should be strengthened to ensure access statewide. She told Alabama Daily News she intends to bring the bill back to the House.
Shelnutt also pre-filed Senate Bill 3, which requires public schools’ sex education curriculum to prioritize abstinence and “sexual risk avoidance” as the best way to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.