HB563 Alabama 2026 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Danny GarrettRepresentative

Republican

Session

2026 Regular Session

Title

Education; CHOOSE Act's athletic-eligibility nondiscrimination provision, enforcement mechanism established; private right of action established

Summary

HB563 adds enforcement and a private right of action to enforce the CHOOSE Act’s athletic-eligibility nondiscrimination provision.

What This Bill Does

It creates enforcement mechanisms for the CHOOSE Act’s nondiscrimination in athletic eligibility. It gives CHOOSE Act participants (students, parents, or participating schools) a civil right to sue interscholastic athletic associations for actions based solely on CHOOSE Act status, seeking injunctions or damages, and allows courts to award attorney fees to the prevailing party. It defines key terms, sets injunctive-relief and damages rules (including a two-year damages window and venue rules), and makes the act effective immediately.

Who It Affects

• CHOOSE Act participants (students, parents, and participating schools) who could sue for discrimination in athletic eligibility and seek injunctions or damages
• Interscholastic athletic associations (and their officers, agents, employees) who could be sued for discriminatory actions affecting CHOOSE Act participants’ eligibility
• Courts in Alabama that would hear these civil actions, grant injunctions, determine damages, and award costs/fees
• Participating schools and school districts that are CHOOSE Act participants and may be named in suits

Key Provisions

• Adds 16-6J-10 to enforce the CHOOSE Act’s nondiscrimination in athletics.
• Creates a private right of action for CHOOSE Act participants to obtain injunctive relief or damages for discrimination based on CHOOSE Act status; action can be brought regardless of when the violation occurred; allows attorney-fee awards to prevailing parties.
• Defines CHOOSE ACT PARTICIPANT, CHOOSE ACT STUDENT, and INTERSCHOLASTIC ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION; outlines injunctive-relief standards (temporary restraining orders, preliminary and permanent injunctions) prioritizing participation, with presumptions of irreparable harm and a balance of hardships framework; grants damages for actual economic losses within two years; venue rules and costs/fees provisions; enforcement and findings.
• Effective immediately.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano-2025-08-07 on Mar 3, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Education