June 2, 2023
Legislative Session Update #12
Legislature Almost at Finish Line;
Budgets Signed Into Law
Coming off of the Memorial Day weekend, the Alabama Legislature did not meet on Tuesday as is normal practice, instead meeting for two legislative days this week (Wednesday and Thursday). The Legislature has now met for 29 of the 30 maximum legislative days allowed, leaving only one day remaining in the 2023 Regular Session.
This week saw productive and collaborative action in both the House of Representatives and Senate, with over 75 bills receiving consideration and passage in both chambers, including several significant pieces of legislation receiving final legislative passage. Of note, the Legislature gave final passage to HB479, which would reduce the state sales tax on food items at grocery stores by 2% over the next two years, and HB217, which would provide a state income tax exemption on overtime hours worked by hourly employees over 40 hours a week. Both these bills received final passage on Thursday after substantial legislative negotiations and amendments added to the bills. These bills are now awaiting Governor Ivey’s signature into law.
On Thursday, Governor Ivey signed the Education Budget, the General Fund Budget, and related appropriations bills into law, completing the Legislature’s constitutional duty of passing the budgets. The budgets and related appropriations bills reflect the final legislative versions that were adopted last week and include the funding levels that were reported in last week’s ACCS Legislative Update. Links to the budget items of interest to ACCS can be found below:
-
2% Pay Raise for Education Employees, including Community Colleges
-
One-Time Income Tax Rebate of $150 per Individual / $300 per Family
Overall, this is an unprecedented budget package for the ACCS, with over $522 million of new money provided to the ACCS for operational and programmatic advancements and one-time facilities improvements. The ACCS is very appreciative of all the legislators and other partners who supported and advocated for the ACCS this year.
The Legislature will return to Montgomery one final time on Tuesday, June 6 to meet for the last day of the 2023 Regular Session. Both the House and Senate will convene at 1:30 PM.
Bills of Interest
SB88 — Sen. Arthur Orr:
SBFY24 Education budget, appropriations for the support, maintenance, and development of public education (Signed into Law; Act 2023-379)
SB87 – Sen. Arthur Orr:
Appropriations, supplemental appropriations for the fiscal year 2023, from Education Trust Fund to various educational agencies and entities (Signed into Law; Act 2023-378)
SB85 – Sen. Arthur Orr:
Public education employees, including K-12, postsecondary education, and AIDB, a 2% salary increase (Signed into Law; Act 2023-376)
HB154 – Rep. Napoleon Bracy:
To provide a 2% cost-of-living increase for state employees (including ACCS office employees) for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2023 (Signed into Law; Act 2023-380)
SB86 – Sen. Arthur Orr:
One-time income tax rebate for qualified taxpayers (Signed into Law; Act 2023-377)
SB175 – Sen. Arthur Orr:
To establish the ReEngage Alabama Grant Program and Alabama Short-Term Credentialing Scholarship Program; to provide grant award payments to eligible learners to attend 2-year and 4-year institutions; to provide eligibility standards, and to provide for administration by the Alabama Commission on Higher Education and Alabama Community College System. (Legislature approved conference committee report; awaiting signature by Governor Ivey)
SB101 – Sen. Arthur Orr:
Appropriations, Rolling Reserve Act amended to provide for the annual appropriations from the Education Trust Fund and distribution of excess revenues, Educational Opportunities Reserve Fund established (Signed into Law; Act 2023-390)
HB109 — Rep. Terri Collins:
Alabama Credential Quality and Transparency Act and the Alabama Workforce Council Committee on Credential Quality and Transparency, Alabama Terminal on Linking and Analyzing Statistics (ATLAS) on Career Pathways Act, and Alabama College and Career Readiness Act established (Signed into Law; Act 2023-365)
SB176 – Sen. Arthur Orr:
To create the Students Right to Know Act of 2023; to require the Alabama Commission on Higher Education to collect data and create an interactive online tool for students for use in making informed decisions relating to education and professions; and to require the commission and Workforce Division of the Department of Commerce to share data and information as necessary to comply with this act. (Passed by House 5/31; awaiting signature by Governor Ivey)
HB68 – Rep. Randall Shedd:
Relating to state employee travel expenses; to provide that employees may be reimbursed for their actual travel expenses (Signed into Law; Act 2023-292)
HB213 – Rep. Joe Lovvorn:
Relating to the Volunteer Rescue Squad Tuition Reimbursement Act; to decrease the required contracted service time after graduation and licensing from three years to two years; to expand the program to include students who contract and provide service to ambulance services; to provide exclusions from reimbursement; and to increase the amount of operational expenses reimbursed to the Alabama Community College System; to provide for the retroactive reimbursement of certain fees and expenses. (Signed into Law; Act 2023-353)
HB152 – Rep. Allen Treadaway:
To authorize public institutions of higher education that employ campus police officers to also employ reserve police officers; and to specify the qualifications and duties of reserve officers (Passed Senate 5/31; awaiting signature by Governor Ivey)
SB196 – Sen. Arthur Orr:
To amend the Alabama Open Records Act to establish procedures and timelines for requesting and obtaining public records (Given favorable report by House Ethics & Campaign Finance Committee)
HB261 – Rep. Susan Dubose:
2-year or 4-year institutions of higher education, are required to prohibit the participation of males on female athletic teams or sports and the participation of females on male athletic teams or sports. (Signed into Law; Act 2023-293)
SB57 – Sen. April Weaver:
Board of Nursing, Loan Repayment Program for Nursing Education created (Passed House 6/1; awaiting signature by Governor Ivey)
HB417 – Rep. Phillip Pettus:
For paramedics, the requirement of a college degree was deleted for licensure (Signed into Law; Act 2023-311)
SB67 – Sen. Clyde Chambliss:
Related to the National Guard ANGEAP program; to allow dually-enrolled students to be included and to clarify the law relating to stackable undergraduate credentials (Passed 5/31; awaiting signature by Governor Ivey)
HB315 – Rep. Jerry Starnes:
Department of Veterans Affairs; Alabama G.I. Dependent Scholarship Program; additional educational benefits for spouses of those who were killed while on state active duty status (Given favorable report by Senate Finance & Taxation Education Committee)
HB168 – Rep. Kerry Underwood:
For public works contracts, the threshold dollar amount for which competitive bidding is required increased to $100,000, notice requirements were further provided to include electronic notifications, the use of electronic sealed bids authorized (Passed Senate 6/1; awaiting signature by Governor Ivey)
SB309 – Sen. Clyde Chambliss:
Public contracts; procurement of professional services contracts based on a competitive, qualification-based selection process, provided (Passed House 5/31; awaiting signature by Governor Ivey)
SB261 – Sen. Dan Roberts:
Public contracts, state and local governments are prohibited from entering into certain contracts that boycott businesses in certain sectors or based on certain environmental or corporate governance criteria (Passed House 5/31; awaiting signature by Governor Ivey)
HB103 – Rep. Alan Baker:
Education employees; sick leave allowed for caring for ill child for whom a petition for adoption has been filed and for an adopted child under certain circumstances (Signed into Law; Act 2023-352)