HB430 Alabama 2023 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Danny GarrettRepresentative

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2023

Title

Relating to the Alabama Literacy Task Force; to amend Section 16-6G-3, Code of Alabama 1975, to provide further for the duties and membership of the task force; to provide for the compensation of members; to provide for the chair and vice chair; and to provide for meetings.

Summary

HB430 updates the Alabama Literacy Task Force to expand its duties, revise its membership and leadership, provide compensation, and govern the review and use of reading assessments and programs.

What This Bill Does

HB430 expands the Task Force's duties to include recommending comprehensive core reading and intervention programs, establishing a state teacher development continuum for evidence-based reading instruction, and maintaining an annual list of vetted reading assessments for local use. It revises who serves on the Task Force, sets compensation and leadership roles (chair and vice chair), requires meetings at least twice a year, and mandates public posting of meetings and member lists. It also tightens how assessments are approved and used by local districts, including validity periods, rules about adding but not removing assessments during a period, transparency of rubrics, and diversity requirements for appointees.

Who It Affects

• Students and families in Alabama: will benefit from clearer reading programs and reliable assessments that help identify reading difficulties early and guide instruction.
• Educators and school systems: including teachers, principals, superintendents, and district staff, will participate in task force appointments and use the approved assessments, reporting results to parents and administrators; they may be affected by compensation for task force members and by new meeting schedules.

Key Provisions

• Amends Section 16-6G-3 to require the Literacy Task Force to recommend comprehensive core reading and intervention programs, maintain a state continuum of teacher development for evidence-based reading instruction, and approve an annual list of vetted reading assessments for local use; the core program list is valid for five years and the assessment list for three years, with assessments allowed to be added but not removed during the period.
• Defines the Task Force membership to include specific roles (Director of the Alabama Reading Initiative, two public K-12 teachers, one special education teacher, three Certified Academic Dyslexia Therapists, two public school principals, one local superintendent, one local board member, one national literacy expert, one early childhood educator, one dean of a college of education, seven additional members, and two at-large members who serve as chair and vice chair) with four-year terms and possible one additional two-year term; members are reimbursed for expenses.
• Requires Task Force meetings at least twice yearly, public posting of meeting dates, times, agendas, and the full member list, and leadership roles alternating between Senate and House appointees; chair and vice chair terms are defined by these two at-large appointments.
• Sets criteria for approved assessment systems: they must provide screening and diagnostic capabilities, measure key reading skills (phonological awareness, oral language, alphabetic principle, decoding/encoding, vocabulary, and comprehension), identify reading deficiencies including dyslexia characteristics, and show predictive validity with respect to state assessments; time, instructional integration, and reporting timeliness are considered in approval.
• Requires coordination among appointing authorities to ensure diversity by gender, race, and geography; the State Department of Education must verify credentials; compensation and expenses are payable subject to appropriations.

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

Subjects

Literacy Task Force, duties, membership, compensation, leadership, and meeting schedule revised