SB128 Alabama 2020 Session

Updated Feb 26, 2026

Notable

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Dan RobertsSenator
Republican
Session: Regular Session 2020
Title: Community College System, tenure and discipline of faculty and staff hired on or after June 1, 2020, pursuant to policy adopted by Board of Trustees of Alabama Community College System in lieu of Students First Act of 2011, Secs. 16-60-111.4, 16-60-111.7 am'd.
Summary: SB 128 shifts post-2020 community and technical college hires to board-designed policies on tenure and discipline, preserves pre-2020 hires under the Students First Act, and adds limited due-process rights for some newer employees.
What This Bill Does
If enacted, the bill makes all faculty and staff hired on or after June 1, 2020 subject to policies adopted by the ACCS Board for tenure, discipline, termination, transfer, reassignment, and related actions, instead of the Students First Act of 2011. Hires before June 1, 2020 stay under the Students First Act. For employees hired after August 1, 2020 who attain tenure or non-probationary status, the policies must provide due process rights, including an appeal to a neutral decision maker, except for Presidents, Vice-Presidents, and Chief Financial Officers; the board will also set tenure qualifications and salary schedules.

Who It Affects
Faculty and staff hired before June 1, 2020: remain governed by the Students First Act of 2011.
Faculty and staff hired on or after June 1, 2020: subject to ACCS Board policies on tenure, discipline, termination, transfer, reassignment, and reductions-in-force.
Employees hired after August 1, 2020 who attain tenure or non-probationary status: eligible for due process rights (including an appellate process before a neutral decision maker) in termination cases not due to reduction-in-force, with the exception of Presidents, Vice-Presidents, and Chief Financial Officers.

Key Provisions
Post-June 1, 2020 hires are governed by ACCS Board policies on tenure and related personnel actions in lieu of the Students First Act of 2011.
Pre-June 1, 2020 hires remain subject to the Students First Act of 2011.
Policies adopted by the Board must provide for due process rights for certain post-August 1, 2020 hires who attain tenure or non-probationary status, including an appellate procedure before a neutral decision maker appointed by the Chancellor; Presidents, Vice-Presidents, and Chief Financial Officers are exempt from these due process rights.
The Board is authorized to establish qualifications for faculty, set a salary schedule, and determine tenure requirements, along with rules for tenure, discipline, termination, transfer, reassignment, and reductions-in-force.
The act becomes effective immediately after it is passed and approved.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 23, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.
Subjects: Community College System