HB188 Alabama 2022 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Andrew SorrellAuditor

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2022

Title

Education, State Board of Education to adopt rules regarding controlling the spread of COVID-19 in public K-12 schools, reduce funding for public K-12 schools that violate rules

Summary

HB188 would require the State Board of Education to adopt COVID-19 safety rules for public K-12 schools that do not require masking, and would cut funding for schools that mandate masks in violation of those rules.

What This Bill Does

The bill directs the State Board of Education, in consultation with the Alabama Department of Public Health, to set safety protocols for controlling the spread of COVID-19 in public K-12 schools without mandating masks. It emphasizes preserving parental rights to decide whether a child wears a mask and protecting students with disabilities or health conditions from harmful protocols. It allows voluntary masking by parents and would reduce by 5% the Foundation Program Fund funding for any school or local board that enforces a mask mandate in violation of the adopted rules, with safeguards to protect other schools' funding.

Who It Affects

• Public K-12 students and their parents/guardians, who would retain the ability to decide whether to have their child wear a mask and would be affected by the safety rules.
• Public K-12 schools and local boards of education, which would have to follow the new rules and could face a 5% funding reduction if they mandate masks in violation of the rules.

Key Provisions

• The State Board of Education, in consultation with the Alabama Department of Public Health, must adopt rules for safety protocols that control the spread of COVID-19 in public K-12 schools without requiring masks and that respect parental health decisions.
• Rules must maintain constitutional freedoms, keep parents' ability to decide about their minor child's health care (including masking), and protect children with disabilities or health conditions from protocols that could cause harm.
• Voluntary masking by parents remains allowed.
• If a school or local board enforces a mask mandate in violation of the rules, the State Superintendent of Education must reduce by 5% the school's or local board's Foundation Program Fund allotment in the next fiscal year, with safeguards to ensure other schools are not harmed.

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

Subjects

Education