SB202 Alabama 2012 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Scott Beason

Republican

Co-Sponsors

Shadrack McGillPhillip W. WilliamsClay ScofieldBryan Taylor

Session

Regular Session 2012

Title

Teachers, educational support personnel, and other certified educational employees and student teachers, professional liability insurance, Education Department and Finance Department to purchase or provide by July 1, 2013, rules authorized, Teacher and Education Employee Protection Act

Summary

SB202 would create a state program to provide education employee professional liability insurance for teachers, school staff, and student teachers at no cost to them.

What This Bill Does

The State Department of Education and the Department of Finance would implement a program to purchase or provide education employee professional liability insurance for certificated personnel, support personnel, and student teachers. The insurance would cover damages and defense costs related to actions arising from duties, with details like cost and coverage decided by the Department of Finance and funded by appropriations in the Education Trust Fund. Coverage would automatically apply to all full-time certificated and support personnel and student teachers, at no cost, with optional at-cost extension for part-time personnel. The program would be jointly administered, rules could be adopted to implement it, and insurer selection would occur through a competitive process; any unused funds would revert to the Education Trust Fund. It would take effect by July 1, 2013.

Who It Affects

• Full-time certificated personnel (teachers, principals, and other certified staff) would be automatically insured at no cost, protecting them from liability damages and defense costs arising from their professional duties.
• Full-time support personnel (custodians, bus drivers, cafeteria workers, secretaries, clerks, maintenance, and other non-certificated staff) would be automatically insured at no cost, with the same protections.
• Student teachers assigned to local public school classrooms would be automatically insured at no cost while participating in the program.
• Local boards of education and their employees would participate in the program through the state insurance coverage funded and administered by the Department of Education and Department of Finance.
• Insurance carriers would be selected through a competitive bidding process, and any leftover funds would revert to the Education Trust Fund.

Key Provisions

• Creates the Teacher and Education Employee Protection Act and requires the Department of Education and the Department of Finance to implement a program to provide education employee professional liability insurance.
• The program would insure certificated personnel, support personnel, and student teachers against damages and defense costs arising from the performance of their duties; coverage level and cost are determined by the Department of Finance and funded by Legislature appropriations.
• Coverage is automatic for all full-time certificated and support personnel and student teachers, at no cost; part-time personnel may opt in at cost.
• The program is jointly administered by the Department of Education and the Department of Finance, with rules to implement it, insurer selection by competitive process, and funding and timing details (effective by July 1, 2013).

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 25, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Insurance