House Bill 122 Alabama 2026 Session

Updated Mar 12, 2026

Notable

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Terri CollinsRepresentative
Republican
Session: 2026 Regular Session
Title: Teacher Excellence and Accountability for Mathematics and Science (TEAMS) Salary Schedule Program; participating teacher with over 20 years of advanced contract criteria service may be offered contract for up to five years instead of required offer of five years
Summary: HB122 adds a five-year TEAMS contract option for eligible teachers with over 20 years of service who meet advanced criteria, with credential, development, and local-board requirements and an Oct. 1, 2026 effective date.
What This Bill Does
The bill amends TEAMS to allow a five-year contract for participating teachers with over 20 years of service who satisfy advanced contract criteria. It maintains existing contract length rules for other participants and sets an implementation date of October 1, 2026, with protections for contracts signed before that date. It also requires specialized credentials within three years of joining TEAMS, and at least four days of annual high-quality professional development; contracts continue to be funded and managed by local boards, with certain protections and waivers available.

Who It Affects
Participating TEAMS teachers with over 20 years of service who meet advanced contract criteria will be offered a five-year contract.
Other TEAMS participants remain under current contract lengths (preliminary or advanced) as defined by existing rules.
Local school boards employing TEAMS teachers.
Credentialing bodies and the Department that set qualification standards and may grant limited status waivers.

Key Provisions
Amends Section 16-13-334 to allow a five-year contract for eligible teachers with over 20 years of service who satisfy advanced contract criteria.
Effective October 1, 2026, no contract shall be longer than the maximums set in the TEAMS sections; contracts executed before Oct 1, 2026 remain valid.
To be eligible for an advanced contract (up to three years), a TEAMS participant must hold a valid specialized certification or credential within three years of admission (from NISE, National Board, Department, or department-approved criteria).
A participating teacher with over 20 years of service who satisfies the advanced criteria shall be offered a five-year contract.
Each TEAMS contract requires at least four days of annual high-quality professional development approved by the Department.
TEAMS employment is with the local board; participants relinquish certain protections under the Students First Act; there are limited one-time reversion rights for those who joined TEAMS and fail to obtain the credential; the TEAMS contract term does not count toward continuing service status accrual.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano-2025-08-07 on Mar 10, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.
Subjects: Education