SB1 Alabama 2025 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Sam GivhanSenator

Republican

Session

2025 Regular Session

Title

Public education employees, providing compensation to full-time public education employees, on the job injury program, trust fund, and board created

Summary

SB1 creates a new Public Education Employee Injury Compensation Program, funded by a dedicated Trust Fund and overseen by a Public Education Employee Injury Compensation Board, to compensate full-time Alabama public education employees for on-the-job injuries.

What This Bill Does

The bill establishes a stand-alone program, fund, and board to provide compensation and salary continuation for full-time public education employees injured on the job, with medical payments either through PEEHIP or the new program and reimbursement to schools for substitute costs. It introduces a new injury reporting, treatment, and dispute process, including a Review Board and hearing officers, and sets rules for benefits, timelines, and potential attorney fees. It also makes the new program the sole remedy for injuries incurred after the implementation date, while injuries before that date would still be handled by the existing Board of Adjustment, and it creates the Maryann Leonard Educators’ On-The-Job Injury Act with defined terms and governance structures.

Who It Affects

• Full-time public education employees (such as teachers and adult bus drivers) would receive compensation for on-the-job injuries, plus salary continuation for up to 90 working days and access to medical treatment payments coordinated through the new program or PEEHIP.
• Public education employers (boards of education and related entities) would administer the program, be reimbursed for costs to hire substitutes during injuries, and coordinate health and benefit payments; they would implement forms, policies, and procedures and work with the new Board and PEEHIP.
• Note: Employees covered by PEEHIP have medical payment arrangements through PEEHIP with possible board reimbursement of certain copays and deductibles; employees not covered by PEEHIP would receive medical payments through the new program up to set maximums.

Key Provisions

• Creates the Public Education Employee Injury Compensation Program, the Public Education Employee Injury Compensation Trust Fund, and the Public Education Employee Injury Compensation Board to handle on-the-job injury compensation for full-time public education employees.
• Defines eligible employees (full-time public education workers including adult bus drivers) and eligible employers (public boards of education and related entities) under the Maryann Leonard Educators’ On-The-Job Injury Act (Chapter 1A).
• Salary continuation: an injured employee may have their salary and fringe benefits continued for up to 90 working days while unable to work, with possible extension by employer policy for on-the-job injuries; applies to temporary disability as appropriate.
• Employers are reimbursed by the state for reasonable on-the-job injury costs to hire substitutes for up to 90 working days per fiscal year, funded through annual appropriations and budget requests.
• Medical payments: for employees covered by PEEHIP, the program pays physicians under the PEEHIP schedule and reimburses copays/deductibles not paid by PEEHIP; for non-PEEHIP employees, the board pays medical costs up to maximum fees; board can negotiate rates with providers and designations of treating physicians; there is a process for second opinions and a list/panel of physicians.
• Injury reporting and dispute resolution: requires notice of injury within five working days (or within 90 days by a knowledgeable person in certain cases), uniform injury reporting forms, and a process for disputes via the Review Board or hearing officers with defined discovery rules and potential attorney fees up to 15% of compensation.
• Funding and governance: creates a separate fund that collects and carries forward money; funds are invested, with interest kept in the fund; the board administers the program, may contract with a third-party administrator, and must follow open meetings/open records rules; board members are appointed by state leaders and include the Director of the Workers' Compensation Division among others.
• Implementation and scope: claims for injuries on or after the implementation date (no later than October 1, 2026) follow the new program as the sole remedy; injuries prior to that date remain under the Board of Adjustment; the act preserves state immunity and includes severability.
• Additional provisions: the program may subrogate or seek reimbursement from third parties responsible for injuries; the board can establish procedures to reimburse the employer for compensation costs and may require forms and reporting standards.

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