Alabama 2025 Regular Session

Alabama Senate Bill SB280 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

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1		-	~~SB280ENGROSSED~~
	1	+	SB280INTRODUCED
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3	3		SB280
4		-	DGQ1WHH-2
	4	+	DGQ1WHH-1
5	5		By Senators Orr, Chesteen, Waggoner, Barfoot, Elliott, Stutts,
6	6		Chambliss, Kitchens, Shelnutt, Hovey, Kelley, Bell, Melson,
7	7		Sessions, Livingston, Gudger, Weaver, Givhan, Allen, Jones
8	8		RFD: Finance and Taxation Education
9	9		First Read: 01-Apr-25
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16		-	7 ~~SB280 Engrossed~~
	16	+	7 DGQ1WHH-1 03/31/2025 KMS (L)cr 2025-1226
17	17		Page 1
18	18		First Read: 01-Apr-25
	19	+	SYNOPSIS:
	20	+	This bill would create the Alabama Teacher
	21	+	Paperwork Streamlining Act.
	22	+	This bill would streamline and reduce teacher
	23	+	paperwork burdens relating to the Alabama Literacy Act,
	24	+	the Alabama Numeracy Act, individualized education
	25	+	programs, Section 504 Plans, and other educational
	26	+	programs.
19	27		A BILL
20	28		TO BE ENTITLED
21	29		AN ACT
22	30		Relating to public K-12 education; to create the
23	31		Alabama Teacher Paperwork Streamlining Act; to require the
24	32		State Department of Education to develop a unified digital
25	33		platform and a system of data sharing that consolidates
26	34		documentation required by the Alabama Literacy Act, the
27	35		Alabama Numeracy Act, individualized education programs,
28	36		Section 504 Plans, and other educational programs; to provide
29	37		for a statewide teacher advisory committee; to require
30	38		compliance, and to repeal Section 16-6B-11, Code of Alabama
31	39		1975, providing for the creation and operation of the
32	40		Paperwork Reduction Committee.
33		-	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
34		-	Section 1. (a) This section shall be known and may be
35		-	cited as the Alabama Teacher Paperwork Streamlining Act.
36		-	(b) The purpose of this section is to accomplish all of
37		-	the following:
38		-	(1) Streamline and reduce the paperwork burdens placed
39		-	on Alabama teachers related to the required documentation for
40		-	the Alabama Literacy Act, the Alabama Numeracy Act,
41		-	individualized education Programs, plans developed under
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69		-	28 SB280 ~~Engrossed~~
	68	+	28 SB280 INTRODUCED
70	69		Page 2
	70	+	Paperwork Reduction Committee.
	71	+	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
	72	+	Section 1. (a) This section shall be known and may be
	73	+	cited as the Alabama Teacher Paperwork Streamlining Act.
	74	+	(b) The purpose of this section is to accomplish all of
	75	+	the following:
	76	+	(1) Streamline and reduce the paperwork burdens placed
	77	+	on Alabama teachers related to the required documentation for
	78	+	the Alabama Literacy Act, the Alabama Numeracy Act,
71	79		individualized education Programs, plans developed under
72	80		Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. §794
73	81		(Section 504 Plans), and other educational programs.
74	82		(2) Improve teacher morale and retention by reducing
75	83		noninstructional administrative burdens.
76	84		(c) The State Department of Education shall do all of
77	85		the following:
78	86		(1) Work with local boards of education to create a
79	87		unified digital platform that consolidates the required
80	88		documentation for the Alabama Literacy Act, Alabama Numeracy
81	89		Act, individualized education programs, Section 504 Plans, and
82	90		other relevant educational programs into a single,
83	91		user-friendly system.
84	92		(2) Collaborate with stakeholders including, but not
85	93		limited to, teachers, administrators, and legal experts, to:
86	94		a. Eliminate redundant documentation requirements
87	95		across different programs;
88	96		b. Standardize forms and reporting formats to reduce
89	97		complexity and time spent on paperwork; and
90	98		c. Ensure that documentation requirements align with
91		-	state and federal rules and regulations, while reducing
92		-	unnecessary paperwork.
93		-	(3) Develop and implement, beginning with the 2026-2027
94		-	school year, a system of data sharing among the Alabama
95		-	Literacy Act, the Alabama Numeracy Act, individualized
96		-	education programs, Section 504 Plans, and other educational
97		-	programs to ensure that information entered once is able to be
98		-	used across multiple documentation platforms to reduce
99		-	repetitive input by teachers.
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127		-	56 SB280 ~~Engrossed~~
	126	+	56 SB280 INTRODUCED
128	127		Page 3
	128	+	c. Ensure that documentation requirements align with
	129	+	state and federal rules and regulations, while reducing
	130	+	unnecessary paperwork.
	131	+	(3) Develop and implement, beginning with the 2026-2027
	132	+	school year, a system of data sharing among the Alabama
	133	+	Literacy Act, the Alabama Numeracy Act, individualized
	134	+	education programs, Section 504 Plans, and other educational
	135	+	programs to ensure that information entered once is able to be
	136	+	used across multiple documentation platforms to reduce
129	137		repetitive input by teachers.
130	138		(4) Annually review and audit all paperwork
131	139		requirements to assess if further streamlining is necessary.
132	140		The department shall actively solicit input from teachers
133	141		during the annual review process.
134		-	(d)(1) The Alabama Public Education Paperwork Reduction
135		-	Committee is created. The committee shall consist of teachers
136		-	representing all grade levels and as many subject matters as
137		-	practicable. The committee shall include one principal, one
138		-	curriculum director, one special education coordinator, one
139		-	instructional coach, and one interventionist. Not less than 75
140		-	percent of the membership of the committee shall consist of
141		-	nonadministrative teachers actively engaged in full-time
142		-	classroom instruction.
143		-	(2)a. The organizational meeting of the committee shall
144		-	be held no later than September 1, 2025. At the organizational
145		-	meeting, and annually thereafter, the membership of the
146		-	committee shall elect a chair from among its membership. The
147		-	committee shall meet quarterly to assess the effectiveness of
	142	+	(d) A teacher advisory committee shall be formed. The
	143	+	advisory committee shall consist of representative teachers
	144	+	from various school districts located across the state and
	145	+	shall meet quarterly to assess the effectiveness of the
148	146		paperwork streamlining measures, offer recommendations for
149		-	further improvement, and ensure that teachers' needs are being
150		-	met in the areas of paperwork reduction. If more than 100 days
151		-	have elapsed since the last meeting of the committee, a
152		-	meeting may be called by the chair or by written petition of a
153		-	majority of the membership of the committee.
154		-	b. Members of the committee may participate in a
155		-	meeting of the committee by means of telephone conference,
156		-	video conference, or similar communications equipment by means
157		-	of which all members participating in the meeting may hear
	147	+	further improvements, and ensure that teachers' needs are
	148	+	being met in the areas of paperwork reduction.
	149	+	(e)(1) All local boards of education shall comply with
	150	+	this section and the requirements developed by the department
	151	+	regarding the use of the streamlined paperwork system. The
	152	+	State Department of Education shall conduct annual audits to
	153	+	ensure compliance with these requirements.
	154	+	(2) Any local board of education failing to implement
	155	+	the streamlined documentation system shall face corrective
	156	+	action including, but not limited to, retraining of
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185		-	84 SB280 ~~Engrossed~~
	184	+	84 SB280 INTRODUCED
186	185		Page 4
187		-	of which all members participating in the meeting may hear
188		-	each other at the same time. Participation by such means shall
189		-	constitute presence in person at a meeting for all purposes,
190		-	including constituting a quorum.
191		-	(3) The State Superintendent of Education shall solicit
192		-	applications from teachers to serve on the committee. From
193		-	those applications, the state superintendent shall submit
194		-	recommendations to the State Board of Education for
195		-	appointment to a two-year term. The nominating and appointing
196		-	authorities shall coordinate their nominations and
197		-	appointments to assure the committee membership is inclusive
198		-	and reflects the racial, gender, geographic, urban, rural, and
199		-	economic diversity of the state. Vacancies shall be filled in
200		-	a like manner.
201		-	(4) The committee shall submit a report to the State
202		-	Superintendent of Education after each meeting. The report
203		-	shall include recommendations for reducing paperwork
204		-	requirements for public school teachers and an overview
205		-	detailing the effectiveness of existing measures. The State
206		-	Superintendent of Education shall respond, in writing, to the
207		-	recommendations of the committee and shall submit each report,
208		-	with his or her response, to the State Board of Education for
209		-	discussion during the next board meeting. No additional
210		-	required paperwork mandate shall be implemented by the State
211		-	Department of Education or State Board of Education without
212		-	first vetting the requirement with and receiving approval from
213		-	the committee.
214		-	(5) Members of the committee shall not be compensated
215		-	for their service but may be reimbursed their actual expenses
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245		-	for their service but may be reimbursed their actual expenses
246		-	for attending committee meetings. A local board of education
247		-	shall provide any teacher appointed to the committee with
248		-	permission to attend committee meetings and may not deduct
249		-	from that teacher's leave or pay for his or her attendance of
250		-	committee meetings.
251		-	(e)(1) All local boards of education shall comply with
252		-	this section and the requirements developed by the department
253		-	regarding the use of the streamlined paperwork system. The
254		-	State Department of Education shall conduct annual audits to
255		-	ensure compliance with these requirements.
256		-	(2) Any local board of education failing to implement
257		-	the streamlined documentation system shall face corrective
258	186		action including, but not limited to, retraining of
259	187		administrators or other measures to ensure compliance with
260	188		this section.
261	189		(f) The Legislature shall allocate necessary funding to
262	190		the State Department of Education to support the development
263	191		and maintenance of the unified digital platform, training for
264	192		teachers, and support for local boards of education in
265	193		streamlining paperwork.
266	194		Section 2. Section 16-6B-11, Code of Alabama 1975,
267	195		providing for the creation and operation of the Paperwork
268	196		Reduction Committee, is repealed.
269	197		Section 3. This act shall become effective on June 1,
270	198		2025.
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297		-	2025.
298		-	Senate
299		-	Read for the first time and referred
300		-	to the Senate committee on Finance
301		-	and Taxation Education
302		-	................01-Apr-25
303		-	Read for the second time and placed
304		-	on the calendar:
305		-	0 amendments
306		-	................03-Apr-25
307		-	Read for the third time and passed
308		-	as amended
309		-	Yeas 29
310		-	Nays 0
311		-	Abstains 0
312		-	................15-Apr-25
313		-	Patrick Harris,
314		-	Secretary.
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