HB588 Alabama 2013 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Mack N. ButlerRepresentative

Republican

Co-Sponsors

David SessionsWes LongPaul W. LeeAllen FarleyVictor GastonWayne JohnsonK.L. BrownMike HillMac ButtramDonnie ChesteenRandy DavisBecky NordgrenChad FincherJim PattersonMac McCutcheonDavid StandridgeMike HubbardAlan BakerEd HenryMike Ball

Session

Regular Session 2013

Title

Religious expression in schools, authorized, Alabama Student Religious Liberties Act

Summary

This bill would protect students' religious expression in public schools and require districts to accommodate religious viewpoints, groups, and activities while maintaining neutrality.

What This Bill Does

It prohibits school districts from discriminating against students or parents based on religious viewpoints or expressions and requires equal treatment of religious expression alongside secular viewpoints in assignments. It allows students to express religious beliefs in homework, art, and other work and requires that such work be judged by normal academic standards. It also lets students organize and participate in religious groups and activities, ensures access to school facilities for these groups, and establishes a limited public forum policy for student speech at school events, including neutral speaker selection and non-endorsement disclosures.

Who It Affects

• Students in public schools: gain protection to express religious viewpoints in coursework and school activities, and to form and participate in religious groups; may wear religious symbols/clothing and engage in religious activities before, during, and after school.
• Public school districts and staff: must enforce non-discrimination, provide access to facilities for religious groups, and adopt and implement a limited public forum policy with neutral speaker selection and necessary disclaimers.

Key Provisions

• Non-discrimination and equal treatment: public school districts may not discriminate against students or parents based on religious viewpoints or expression and must treat religious content the same as secular content in assignments and permissible subjects.
• Religious groups and limited public forum: students may organize religious groups and activities and express religious viewpoints in a manner consistent with other noncurricular activities; districts must provide facilities access and adopt a limited public forum policy with neutral speaker selection for nongraduation and graduation events, plus required disclaimers that speech does not reflect district endorsement.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Religion