HB172 Alabama 2025 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Danny GarrettRepresentative

Republican

Session

2025 Regular Session

Title

Supplemental appropriations from Education Opportunities Reserve Fund for fiscal year ending September 30, 2026

Summary

HB172 would provide a $133 million supplemental appropriation from Alabama's Education Opportunities Reserve Fund for fiscal year 2026 to K-12 education, workforce development, and higher education initiatives.

What This Bill Does

HB172 allocates $133 million from the Education Opportunities Reserve Fund for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2026. Of the $100 million to the State Department of Education, $40 million would go to local education agencies based on free/reduced lunch counts, $20 million to county boards in sparsely populated counties, and $40 million to LEAs based on Special Education student counts. It also provides $18 million to the Alabama Department of Workforce for regional workforce development partnerships—$15 million with four-year universities meeting criteria and $3 million with the Alabama Community College System. It further provides $15 million to higher education research institutions with more than $100 million in annual research expenditures for startup or transitional initiatives, allocated to Auburn University, University of Alabama, University of Alabama at Birmingham, and University of Alabama in Huntsville; the act also reappropriates unexpended FY 2025 appropriations for the year beginning October 1, 2025, and becomes effective October 1, 2025.

Who It Affects

• K-12 education entities (local education agencies and county boards of education) that would receive funding according to the specified formulas.
• Postsecondary institutions and workforce development partners (the Alabama Department of Workforce, four-year universities, and the Alabama Community College System) that would receive funds to support career pathways, training programs, and startup/transitional research initiatives.

Key Provisions

• Total appropriation: $133,000,000 from the Education Opportunities Reserve Fund for fiscal year 2026.
• Department of Education allocations: $100,000,000 to DOE; $40,000,000 to LEAs based on free/reduced lunch counts (including direct certification); $20,000,000 to county boards in counties with population density under 50 residents per square mile; $40,000,000 to LEAs based on Special Education (annual Child Count).
• Workforce allocations: $18,000,000 to the Alabama Department of Workforce; $15,000,000 for regional workforce partnerships with four-year universities with less than $100,000,000 in research expenditures; $3,000,000 for regional workforce partnerships with the Alabama Community College System.
• Higher education research: $15,000,000 to higher education research institutions with over $100,000,000 in annual research expenditures for startup or transitional initiatives, allocated to Auburn University ($3,544,575), University of Alabama ($1,876,243), University of Alabama at Birmingham ($7,920,643), and University of Alabama in Huntsville ($1,658,539).
• Reappropriation: Unexpended FY 2025 appropriations that revert on Sept 30, 2025 are reappropriated for the fiscal year beginning Oct 1, 2025.
• Effective date: October 1, 2025.

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