Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official PDF posted by the Alabama Legislature, fetched 2026-09-25. Page and line markers are part of the official record; nothing is edited or removed. This is the enrolled version. The official bill page.
HB8 ENROLLED
1 HB8
2 L5P8TYY-3
3 By Representatives Gidley, Hollis, Harrison, Rigsby, DuBose,
4 Paschal, Hulsey, Shaver, Colvin, Mooney, Sellers, Standridge,
5 Carns, Morris
6 RFD: Education Policy
7 First Read: 13-Jan-26
8 PFD: 25-Jun-25
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HB8 Enrolled
1 Enrolled, An Act,
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4 Relating to public K-12 education; to allow a public
5 K-12 school or public charter school to accept a campus
6 chaplain who meets certain requirements as a volunteer; to
7 prohibit certain individuals from volunteering as a campus
8 chaplain; and to allow each local board of education and the
9 governing body of each public charter school to vote on
10 whether to allow the volunteer services of a campus chaplain.
11 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
12 Section 1. (a) For the purposes of this section, the
13 term "public school" means any public K-12 school or public
14 charter school.
15 (b)(1) Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, each
16 local board of education and the governing body of each public
17 charter school may take a recorded vote on whether to adopt a
18 policy authorizing a public school under its jurisdiction to
19 accept a campus chaplain as a volunteer under this section.
20 (2) If a local board of education or the governing body
21 of a public charter school votes to accept a campus chaplain
22 as a volunteer, a campus chaplain may be made available to
23 provide support, services, and programs at the request of any
24 teacher in the local school district.
25 (c)(1) A campus chaplain volunteering under this
26 section is not required to be certified by the State Board of
27 Education.
28 (2) Each campus chaplain volunteering under this
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HB8 Enrolled
29 section must have completed a recognized chaplain training
30 program.
31 (d) A public school that accepts a campus chaplain as a
32 volunteer under this section, before the campus chaplain may
33 begin volunteering, shall ensure that the campus chaplain
34 complies with Section 16-22A-5, Code of Alabama 1975, relating
35 to criminal history background information check requirements.
36 (e) A public school may not accept a campus chaplain as
37 a volunteer who has been adjudicated or convicted of an
38 offense that requires registration as a sex offender under
39 Chapter 20A of Title 15, Code of Alabama 1975.
40 Section 2. This act shall become effective on July 1,
41 2026.
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HB8 Enrolled
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51 ________________________________________________
52 Speaker of the House of Representatives
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56 ________________________________________________
57 President and Presiding Officer of the Senate
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60 House of Representatives
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62 I hereby certify that the within Act originated in and
63 was passed by the House 24-Feb-26, as amended.
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65 John Treadwell
66 Clerk
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72 Senate 07-Apr-26 Passed
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