House Bill 511 Alabama 2026 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Reed IngramRepresentative

Republican

Session

2026 Regular Session

Title

Public K-12 education; Pledge of Allegiance and moment of silence or prayer required each day, constitutional amendment

Summary

HB511 would amend Alabama’s Constitution to require the daily Pledge of Allegiance in public K-12 schools and establish a consent-based process for optional daily prayer and Bible or religious-text readings, with funding penalties for noncompliant boards.

What This Bill Does

If enacted, local boards must start each school day with the Pledge of Allegiance. They must also vote within 90 days on whether to allow voluntary daily prayer and religious readings, with signed consent forms required for participation and rules ensuring it does not substitute instructional time. Violations can be investigated by state education officials, and noncompliant boards could lose 25% of state funding, with the Legislature empowered to reduce funding further for continued violations; the amendment takes effect only after voter approval in a statewide election.

Who It Affects

• Public K-12 students and school staff in Alabama public schools, who would be required to participate in the Pledge of Allegiance and may participate in voluntary prayer and readings with parental consent.
• Local boards of education and state education authorities (State Superintendent of Education, State Department of Education) that must implement policies, enforce consent requirements, investigate violations, and manage funding consequences.

Key Provisions

• The Pledge of Allegiance must be recited at the start of every public K-12 school day in schools under a local board's jurisdiction.
• Each local board must vote within 90 days on whether to adopt a policy allowing consenting employees and students to participate in daily prayer and reading of the Bible or other religious texts, with a consent form that includes an acknowledgment of choice, a no-objection statement, and a waiver releasing liability.
• The policy must prohibit participation from counting as instructional time, prevent non-consenting individuals from being present, and set methods for delivering prayer/reading (e.g., before hours or in consenting-required spaces).
• Consent forms and participation are revocable, and revocation requires submitting a new consent form; nonparticipation must be respected, and noncompliant boards can be investigated.
• If a local board fails to vote as required or continues to violate the policy, the State Superintendent may withhold 25% of state funding for the following fiscal year, with the Legislature authorized to further reduce funding for continued violations.
• The amendment, once ratified by voters, may be edited for style and consistency by the Code Commissioner, but substantive changes are not specified beyond clarifications.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 25, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Constitutional Amendments Statewide