HB312 Alabama 2022 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Ed OliverRepresentative

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2022

Title

Education and training, divisive concepts, prohibits teaching of the concepts under certain circumstances, allows teaching of the concepts in public institutions of higher education as long as assent to the concept is not compelled

Summary

HB312 would bar teaching or promoting certain divisive concepts about race, sex, or religion in state education and government training, require assent not to be compelled, and allow disciplinary action for violations.

What This Bill Does

Public K-12 schools, state agencies, and public colleges could not teach or train people to adopt or believe divisive concepts. Public colleges may teach about doctrines related to these concepts only as part of a larger course and must not force students to assent. The bill also prohibits requiring assent to divisive concepts and authorizes discipline or termination for violations. It allows objective, non-endorsing discussion of such concepts in historically accurate contexts and keeps diversity efforts possible if they follow the act’s rules.

Who It Affects

• Public K-12 schools and their staff: restricted from teaching or promoting divisive concepts and subject to potential discipline for violations.
• Public institutions of higher education, along with their employees, contractors, and students: may teach about related doctrines in context without compelling assent; may face discipline for violations; subject to funding and accreditation conditions.

Key Provisions

• Defines ‘divisive concept’ as a list of ideas about race, sex, or religion, including claims of inherent superiority, systemic bias, or guilt based on race or sex.
• Prohibits teaching, instruction, or training to adopt or believe divisive concepts by state agencies, public schools, and higher education employees or contractors.
• Allows higher education to teach about doctrines related to divisive concepts within a larger course, as long as assent is not compelled.
• Prohibits coercing students or employees to share personal viewpoints on controversial public policy issues and protects them from penalties for not supporting divisive concepts.
• Disallows using funds (federal or private) to pressure assent to divisive concepts or to train in them; allows diversity initiatives only if compliant with the act.
• Requires higher education and other state entities to not endorse divisive concepts and to ensure instruction does not compel assent; permits objective discussion in appropriate contexts.
• Authorizes discipline or termination for violations, with applicable appeal processes for K-12 and higher education employees.
• Allows non-endorsing, historically accurate instruction in context and clarifies that the act does not prohibit such teaching when done objectively.
• Establishes an effective date: the act takes effect on the first day of the third month after passage.
• Intends compliance with constitutional boards of trustees and existing policies unless overridden by this act.

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