HB303 Alabama 2021 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Bill Poole

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2021

Title

Appropriations, supplemental appropriations for fiscal year ending September 30, 2020, from the Education Trust Fund Advancement and Technology Fund to various school systems and colleges and universities, and other entities

Summary

HB303 provides supplemental appropriations from Alabama's Education Trust Fund Advancement and Technology Fund for FY 2021, totaling $499,616,084, to public higher education and to the Department of Education and related boards and programs.

What This Bill Does

It allocates $135,096,189 to public colleges and universities and $364,519,895 to the Department of Education and certain boards for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2021. The Department of Education must distribute the funds to local boards and school systems listed in the bill. It designates $2 to Ed Farm Classroom of Tomorrow for teacher professional development and technology tools, with a reporting requirement, and allows use for software, hardware, and related services. Unspent funds can be carried forward to the next year, and the act takes effect immediately upon governor's approval.

Who It Affects

• Public institutions of higher education in Alabama, which receive specified supplemental funds for operating needs and programs
• Department of Education and related boards (Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind; Board of Youth Services School Districts; Alabama School of Fine Arts; Alabama School of Math and Science), which receive funds to support their respective programs
• Local boards of education and school systems across Alabama, which receive allocations from the Department of Education as detailed in the bill
• Classroom teachers and schools that participate in the Ed Farm Classroom of Tomorrow program, which will receive technology tools and professional development services
• State education leadership, who must approve the Department of Education expenditures before they can be spent

Key Provisions

• Section 1: appropriates 135,096,189 to public institutions of higher education for FY 2021, distributed among specific universities and systems as listed in the bill
• Section 2: appropriates 364,519,895 to the Department of Education, the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind, the Board of Youth Services School Districts, the Alabama School of Fine Arts, and the Alabama School of Math and Science for FY 2021
• Section 3: directs the Department of Education to allocate the funds to local boards and entities as specified (a long list of cities and counties), and requires prior approval from the State Superintendent for these appropriations
• Section 3(c): designates the teacher professional development funds to Ed Farm Classroom of Tomorrow for technology tools and professional development, with possible use for software, hardware, admin costs, and services and a required progress report by Oct 1, 2022
• Section 4: any funds not expended in the current year carry forward to the next fiscal year
• Section 5: the act becomes effective immediately upon passage and governor's approval

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Appropriations