HB266ENGROSSED
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HB266
5VLQH66-2
By Representatives Woods, Bolton, Stadthagen, Colvin, Almond,
Hulsey, Shaw, Lipscomb, Rehm, Hammett, Underwood, Brinyark,
Robertson, Faulkner, Kirkland, Pettus, Drummond, Stubbs,
Daniels, Sellers, Wadsworth, Brown, Standridge, Estes,
Starnes, Shirey, Lamb, Mooney, Rigsby, DuBose, Lomax
RFD: Education Policy
First Read: 12-Feb-25
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First Read: 12-Feb-25
A BILL
TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
Relating to public education; to create the Restoring
Educational Advancement of Completing High School (REACH) Act;
to establish a nontraditional high school diploma option,
through the Adult Education Division of the Alabama Community
College System, as an additional pathway through which a
student may earn a high school diploma; to provide for the
duties of the Alabama Community College System, the State
Superintendent of Education, and the State Department of
Education; to require the Alabama Community College System to
annually summarize and report on the effectiveness of the
program to the Legislature; to amend Section 16-28-3.1, Code
of Alabama 1975, to provide further for the information
provided to a student and his or her parents or legal guardian
during the exit interview from high school and to require the
sharing of data between the State Department of Education and
the Adult Education Division of the Alabama Community College
System regarding students who have withdrawn from high school;
and to amend Section 16-28-40, Code of Alabama 1975, to
include proof of participating in a nontraditional high school
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include proof of participating in a nontraditional high school
diploma option program as a reason to allow an individual
under the age of 19 to receive a driver's or learner's
license.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
Section 1. (a) This section shall be known and may be
cited as the Restoring Educational Advancement of Completing
High School (REACH) Act.
(b) For the purposes of this section, the following
terms have the following meanings:
(1) ACCS. The Alabama Community College System.
(2) ADULT EDUCATION. Education programs provided
through the Adult Education Division of the Alabama Community
College System and its approved network of providers.
(3) DEPARTMENT. The State Department of Education.
(4) LOCAL EDUCATION AGENCY. A county school system or
city school system operating public primary and secondary
schools.
(5) NONTRADITONAL HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA OPTION. An
alternative pathway for earning a high school diploma
developed through adult education.
(c)(1) The ACCS, in collaboration with the State
Superintendent of Education, shall establish a nontraditional
high school diploma option for students who are 18 years of
age or older and who have withdrawn from high school before
graduating pursuant to Section 16-28-3.1, Code of Alabama
1975, as a means for those students to earn a high school
diploma.
(2) The ACCS shall develop, implement, and continually
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(2) The ACCS shall develop, implement, and continually
evaluate the effectiveness of the nontraditional high school
diploma option program to ensure that the curricula of the
program is aligned with public high school diploma
requirements. The ACCS shall also oversee the management and
control of each nontraditional high school diploma option
program offered.
(d)(1) The ACCS, through its network of community and
technical colleges, shall work with local education agencies
throughout the state to implement the nontraditional high
school diploma option at the local level. Local education
agencies shall actively promote the availability of the
nontraditional high school diploma option to at-risk juniors
and seniors. Additionally, the Adult Education Division of the
ACCS, in conjunction with the department, shall oversee a
statewide awareness campaign to ensure that students, parents,
and educators throughout the state are informed about the
opportunities and supports available through this program.
(2) Adult education providers approved by the ACCS and
public high schools may enter into agreements regarding
student participation in nontraditional high school diploma
options that include, but are not limited to, the following:
a. Location and manner of instructional delivery
including, but not limited to, in-person, virtual, or a
hybrid.
b. Reasonable accomodations for participants.
c. Appropriate support services for participants.
(e)(1) A student who withdraws from high school, and,
within one year after withdrawing enrolls in a nontraditional
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within one year after withdrawing enrolls in a nontraditional
high school diploma option program, may not be counted as a
dropout for purposes of the graduation rate calculations of
his or her high school on the State Report Card.
(2) The ACCS, in collaboration with the department and
local education agencies, shall track program participation,
student retention, and high school diplomas awarded through
the nontraditional high school diploma option to measure the
effectiveness of the program. Commencing on January 1, 2026,
and each January 1 thereafter, the Chancellor of the ACCS
shall submit a summary of the information tracked to the
Chairs of the House and Senate Education Policy Committees.
(f) Students who earn a high school diploma through the
nontraditional high school diploma option are eligible for
admission to any two-year or four-year institution of higher
education in the state; provided, however, each institution
shall maintain the ability to set its own admission
requirements.
(g) The Board of Trustees of the ACCS and the State
Board of Education may adopt reasonable rules to implement
this section including, but not limited to, the following:
(1) Allowing an increase to the credit ratio for
completion of postsecondary level instructional curricula
related to career readiness, career pathways, and integrated
education and training correlated to industry recognized
credentials.
(2) Utilization of the Workforce Innovation and
Opportunity Act; the Title II Adult Education and Family
Literacy Act; and Measurable Skill Gain indicators as
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Literacy Act; and Measurable Skill Gain indicators as
referenced by the United States Department of Education Office
of Community, Technical, and Adult Education to accelerate the
achievement of a high school diploma.
(3) Agreed upon state strategies to reduce the dropout
rate by using the Adult Education Division of the Alabama
Community College System network of providers as the primary
option of choice for students who have withdrawn from high
school to complete a high school diploma or its recognized
equivalent.
Section 2. Sections 16-28-3.1 and 16-28-40 of the Code
of Alabama 1975, are amended to read as follows:
"§16-28-3.1
(a)(1) A child over the age of who is 17 years of age
or older may withdraw from public school prior to graduation
if both of the following circumstances exist:
(1)a. Written consent is granted by the child's parent
or legal guardian.
(2)b. An exit interview is conducted where the student
and the student's parent or legal guardian have been advised
that withdrawal from school shall likely reduce the student's
future earning potential and increase the student's likelihood
of being unemployed in the future. During the exit interview,
the student who is withdrawing from school shall be given
information that has been prepared and supplied by the State
Department of Education regarding the detrimental impacts and
effects of early withdrawal from school along with any
available training and employment opportunity programs,
provided such information is available.
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provided such information is available.
(2) Information provided during an exit interview by a
local high school shall include materials describing available
adult education programs and services offered by eligible
adult education providers. The materials shall include, but
not limited to, General Education Diploma (GED) preparation
services, the nontraditional high school diploma option
program, and other programs and pathways available for earning
industry certifications and credentials. The materials shall
be developed by the Adult Education Division of the Alabama
Community College System and approved by the State Department
of Education. The local high school shall also provide a
withdrawing student with a copy of his or her academic
records, including his or her current transcript, contact
information for available counseling services, and any
requested referrals to available adult education programs.
(b) The State Department of Education shall work with
local public school systems that have the lowest four-year
graduation rates. The department State Department of Education
shall incorporate specific dropout prevention strategies,
target resources, and gather data that will improve graduation
rates and educational outcomes in all grades in all public
schools. The department State Department of Education shall
develop specific methods of targeted intervention or identify
appropriate existing methods for local public school systems
that have a four-year graduation rate less than the percentage
as determined by the State Board of Education. These
interventions may include the following:
(1) Early intervention for students who fail Algebra I,
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(1) Early intervention for students who fail Algebra I,
or any ninth grade reading or math class, and have
insufficient credits to be promoted.
(2) Alternative education programs designed to reengage
dropouts including, but not limited to, dual enrollment
courses at the community college level and participation in
the nontraditional high school diploma option .
(3) Increased availability of advanced placement
courses.
(4) Offering full course fee waivers for students who
are eligible for free or reduced lunches, when enrolled in
dual credit courses.
(5) Flexible programs for older students who are
currently not enrolled.
(6) Comprehensive coaching for middle school and high
school students who are below grade level in reading and math
or who are at risk due to poor attendance, behavior, or safety
issues including, but not limited to, harassment and bullying.
(7) Teacher advisories and other supports that are
designed to specifically address the needs of those students
who are most at risk of dropping out of school by providing
opportunities to build positive connections with peers and
teachers and providing assistance with course selection,
school performance, and completion of graduation requirements.
Students who are most at risk of dropping out of school
include, but are not limited to, those students who move
often, have poor attendance, or have multiple suspensions or
discipline issues.
(8) Strategies that are specifically designed to
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(8) Strategies that are specifically designed to
improve high school graduation rates for those teenagers who
are at the highest risk of dropping out, including, but not
limited to, students in the foster care system, pregnant
students, student parents, English as second language
students, and students with special educational needs.
(c) The department State Department of Education , in
addition to other information and data, shall compile all of
the following data to ensure that the dropout prevention
program, and local versions of the program, are based upon
evidence-based research, are data-driven, and show continuous
improvement in all of the following :
(1) The total number of high school suspensions related
to truancy.
(2) The total number of students enrolled in
alternative education programs , including the nontraditional
high school diploma option .
(3) The total number of students who have been
reenrolled in programs with flexible schedules or community
college programs.
(4) The total number of students who have failed
Algebra I or ninth grade reading or math.
(5) The total number of students who are repeating the
ninth grade.
(6) The total number of students receiving remedial
assistance in the ninth grade.
(d) The department State Department of Education shall
prepare and submit to the Legislature a written report that
documents all of the following:
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documents all of the following:
(1) The outcomes of the dropout prevention strategies
to date, at the local school system level.
(2) Any planned modification of school system dropout
prevention strategies and activities, based on the data
compiled.
(e) Each local education agency shall report to the
State Department of Education, on a quarterly or more frequent
basis, student withdrawal data. This data shall include
specific information regarding the names and number of
students who have withdrawn from each school district. The
State Department of Education shall enter into a data sharing
agreement with the Adult Education Division of the Alabama
Community College System so this data may be accessed as
needed."
"§16-28-40
(a) The Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency shall deny
a driver's license or a learner's license for the operation of
a motor vehicle to any individual under the age of 19 who does
not, at the time of application, present a diploma or other
certificate of graduation issued to the individual from a
secondary high school of this state or any other state, or
documentation that the individual satisfies one of the
following:
(1) The individual is enrolled and making satisfactory
progress in a nontraditional high school diploma option
program or a course leading to a general educational
development certificate (GED) from a state approved
institution or organization, or has obtained the certificate.
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institution or organization, or has obtained the certificate.
(2) The individual is enrolled in a secondary school of
this state or any other state and has not at the time of
application accumulated disciplinary points while a student in
school that would extend the age of eligibility for the
student to apply for a driver's license.
(3) The individual is participating in a job training
program approved by the State Superintendent of Education.
(4) The individual is gainfully and substantially
employed.
(5) The individual is a parent with the care and
custody of a minor or unborn child.
(6) A physician certifies that the parents of the
individual depend on him or her as their sole source of
transportation.
(7) The individual is exempted from this requirement
due to circumstances beyond his or her control as provided in
this chapter.
(b)(1) The attendance officer or chief attendance
administrator, upon request, shall provide documentation of
enrollment status and disciplinary points on a form approved
by the State Department of Education to any student 15 years
of age or older who is properly enrolled in a school under the
jurisdiction of the official, for presentation to the Alabama
State Law Enforcement Agency, on application for, or renewal
or reinstatement of, a driver's license or a learner's license
to operate a motor vehicle.
(2) Upon the request of a student seeking a fee
exemption on the basis of his or her homelessness, the staff
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exemption on the basis of his or her homelessness, the staff
member designated to act as the local educational agency
liaison for homeless children and youth, pursuant to 42 U.S.C.
§ 11432(g)(1)(J)(ii), shall provide documentation that the
student is a qualified student, on a form approved by the
State Department of Education, for presentation to the Alabama
State Law Enforcement Agency, on application for, or renewal,
reinstatement, or replacement of a driver's license. The term
"qualified student" refers to a student who the local
educational agency liaison for homeless children and youth
verifies as meeting the definition of a "homeless child or
youth" as provided by 42 U.S.C. § 11434a(2) and whose
enrollment status and disciplinary points have been documented
pursuant to subdivision (1).
(3) Whenever a student 16 years of age or older
withdraws from school, the attendance officer or chief
attendance administrator shall notify the Alabama State Law
Enforcement Agency of the withdrawal. Withdrawal shall be
defined as more than 10 consecutive or 15 days total unexcused
absences during a single semester.
(c) Within five days of receipt of a notice of
withdrawal, the Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency shall
send notice to the licensee that his or her driver's license
or learner's license will be suspended under this article on
the 30th day following the date the notice was sent unless
documentation of compliance with this article is received by
the agency before the 30th day.
(d) Whenever the withdrawal from school of the student,
or the failure of the student to enroll in a course leading to
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or the failure of the student to enroll in a course leading to
or to obtain a GED or high school diploma, is beyond the
control of the student, or is for the purpose of transfer to
another school as confirmed in writing by the parent or
guardian of the student, or is for the purpose of
participating in a job training program approved by the State
Superintendent of Education, no notice shall be sent by the
proper school official to the Alabama State Law Enforcement
Agency to suspend the license of the student. If the student
is applying for or renewing a driver's license or a learner's
license, the attendance officer or chief attendance
administrator, upon request, shall provide the student with
documentation to present to the Alabama State Law Enforcement
Agency to exempt the student from this section. The local
superintendent of education with the assistance of the county
or city school attendance director as the case may be, and any
other staff or school personnel, or the appropriate school
official of any private secondary school, shall be the sole
judge of whether the withdrawal is due to circumstances beyond
the control of the individual. Suspension or expulsion from
school or imprisonment in a jail or penitentiary is not a
circumstance beyond the control of a an individual.
(e)(1) Any individual over the age of 14 who is
convicted of the crime of possession of a pistol on the
premises of a public school, or a public school bus, or both,
under Section 13A-11-72 shall be denied issuance of a driver's
permit or license for the operation of a motor vehicle for 180
days from the date the individual is eligible and applies for
a permit or license for the operation of a motor vehicle. Any
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a permit or license for the operation of a motor vehicle. Any
adjudication as a juvenile delinquent or youthful offender
where the underlying charge is the possession of a pistol on
the premises of a public school, or a public school bus, or
both, under Section 13A-11-72 shall be considered a conviction
under this subsection, and the adjudication of an individual
as a juvenile delinquent or youthful offender where the
underlying charge is a violation under Section 13A-11-72 shall
be reported to the Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency.
(2) If an individual over the age of 14 years possesses
a driver's license on the date of conviction, the Alabama
State Law Enforcement Agency, within five days of receipt of a
notice of conviction from the court, shall send notice to the
licensee that his or her driver's license will be suspended.
The notice shall state that the license will be suspended for
180 days commencing on the 30th day following the date the
notice was sent unless documentation is received by the agency
before the 30th day that the individual was not convicted of
the crime. Upon the appropriate date, the agency shall suspend
the license.
(3) Upon the written request of the individual whose
license is denied or suspended, the Alabama State Law
Enforcement Agency shall afford the individual an opportunity
for a hearing in the same manner and under the procedure used
for other driver license suspensions. If the suspension or
denial of issuance determination is sustained by the Secretary
of the Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency or the authorized
agent of the secretary, upon such hearing, the individual may
file a petition in the appropriate court to review the final
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file a petition in the appropriate court to review the final
order of suspension or denial by the secretary or the
authorized agent of the secretary in the same manner and under
the same conditions as is provided in the case of suspensions
and denials.
(4) If the conviction is reversed within the 180-day
period, the Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency, upon receipt
of notice of the reversal from the Administrative Office of
Courts, shall reinstate a suspended license and shall accept
an application for a license and shall issue the license
according to law and regulation.
(5) The court shall notify the Alabama State Law
Enforcement Agency of the conviction of an individual over the
age of 14 of a crime involving the possession of a pistol on
the premises of a public school , or a public school bus, or
both, under Section 13A-11-72 and any reversal of the
conviction. The Administrative Office of Courts may promulgate
adopt necessary rules and regulations to implement this
notification procedure."
Section 3. This act shall become effective on June 1,
2025.
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2025.
House of Representatives
Read for the first time and referred
to the House of Representatives
committee on Education Policy
................12-Feb-25
Read for the second time and placed
on the calendar:
1 amendment
................20-Feb-25
Read for the third time and passed
as amended
Yeas 103
Nays 0
Abstains 0
................25-Feb-25
John Treadwell
Clerk
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