SB54 Alabama 2024 Session

Updated Feb 23, 2026

Notable

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Arthur OrrSenator
Republican
Session: Regular Session 2024
Title: State Textbook Review Committee, review of periodicals, required
Summary: The bill requires Alabama's State Textbook Committee to review periodicals regularly used in public K-12 classrooms and gives the State Board of Education authority to set guidelines and publish approved lists.
What This Bill Does
The State Textbook Committee would also review periodicals regularly used in classroom instruction (magazines, newspapers, and journals). A periodical is considered regularly used if it is used at least once a month during the school year, and the act becomes effective October 1, 2024. The State Board of Education may develop guidelines for how these periodicals are reviewed. The process could produce statewide lists of vetted and approved periodicals, and the guidelines will be separate from the current textbook review process.

Who It Affects
Public K-12 students: will be affected by which periodicals are reviewed and potentially used in their instruction.
Teachers and school administrators: may need to use periodicals that are reviewed/approved and can reference statewide vetted lists.
State Textbook Committee and State Board of Education: gain expanded responsibilities to review periodicals and develop guidelines and lists.
Periodical publishers and vendors: may be subject to the vetting and listing process for materials used in classrooms.

Key Provisions
Defines periodical as magazines, newspapers, or journals published at regular intervals.
Requires the State Textbook Committee to review all periodicals regularly used in public K-12 classrooms (used at least once a month).
Authorizes the State Board of Education to develop guidelines for the review of periodicals.
Allows the review process to publish statewide lists of vetted and approved periodicals.
Requires guidelines for periodical review to be separate from the existing State Textbook Review Process.
Effective date: October 1, 2024.

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