HB155 Alabama 2015 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Bill Poole

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2015

Title

Education budget, appropriations for the support, maintenance, and development of public education

Summary

HB155 is Alabama's 2015 education budget bill that allocates Education Trust Fund and other state funds for public education, debt service, and capital outlay for the 2016 fiscal year.

What This Bill Does

The bill authorizes and appropriates funds from the Education Trust Fund and other sources for public education programs for the year ending September 30, 2016, covering K-12, higher education, and related agencies. It specifies the amounts by program and agency, including core K-12 funding (Foundation Program), At-Risk programs, School Nurses, transportation, and numerous higher education initiatives. It also sets rules for how funds may be moved or repurposed within limits (e.g., local boards’ flexibility, certain pass-through adjustments) and includes reporting requirements on workforce development and grants. Additionally, the act outlines debt service payments, reappropriation of unused funds, and various governance and implementation provisions.

Who It Affects

• Local boards of education and school districts, which receive and administer Foundation Program funds, At-Risk funds, School Nurses, transportation, and related ETF allocations, with allowances for line-item flexibility and certain reallocation conditions.
• State agencies and higher education institutions (including public universities, community colleges, and related programs), which receive detailed ETF and federal/local fund allocations for operations, maintenance, auxiliary enterprises, specialized programs, and capital outlay, and must follow reporting and accountability requirements.

Key Provisions

• Section 2: Establishes that appropriations are paid from the State Treasury to multiple funds (Education Trust Fund, Public School Fund, etc.) for the 2016 fiscal year and specifies sources and uses of funds.
• Section 3: Creates Education Trust Fund earmarked funds by program (Legislative, Executive, Commerce/AIDT, Children's Affairs, etc.) with detailed dollar amounts and sources for each program.
• Section 4: Authorizes gifts, grants, and entitlements in excess of amounts carried in the act to be appropriated/reappropriated to their intended purposes; allows mutual agreements to defray auditing costs.
• Section 5: Provides debt service allocations for various endowments and bonds; allows for refunding or new bond debt service to be paid from ETF appropriations with approval.
• Section 6: Allocates funds for health-related and professional scholarship programs (Dentist, Nursing, etc.) and related education activities.
• Section 7: Directs transfer mechanics to the State Personnel Department and requires timely interagency payments; supports interagency service costs.
• Section 8: Lapse provisions for encumbered balances, with reversion to the appropriate ETF or earmarked fund.
• Section 9: Allows appropriations to cover court-ordered payments (claims, attorney fees) if funds are available and other current appropriations are not.
• Section 10-12: Includes local district flexibility for FY 2016, redirecting pass-through funds for nutrition programs under certain reserves, and a fixed SEIB insurance rate for FY 2016.
• Section 14-15: Reappropriation of unexpended FY 2015 appropriations to the 2016 fiscal year; ensures the act remains operative if parts are challenged; outlines severability and repeal provisions.
• Section 16-17: Effective date is October 1, 2015.

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

Subjects

Education Trust Fund