Senate Bill 317 Alabama 2026 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Arthur OrrSenator

Republican

Session

2026 Regular Session

Title

Alabama Commission on the Evaluation of Services recreated as a legislative department, duties revised and clarified, Legislative Committee on the Evaluation of Services created

Summary

SB317 recreates the Alabama Commission on the Evaluation of Services as a legislative department and creates a Legislative Committee to supervise it, overhauling how state service evaluations are planned, conducted, and reported.

What This Bill Does

The bill establishes the Alabama Commission on the Evaluation of Services as a legislative department (Chapter 2B) and creates a Legislative Committee to supervise it, replacing the old Chapter 2A. It sets up a director position, allows the committee to appoint staff, and authorizes the commission to manage funds (state appropriations and grants) within legislative budgets. It requires state agencies to share data and to develop evaluation plans for new programs and major expansions, publish evaluation standards, and submit evaluation reports publicly. It also creates a 12-member Legislative Committee to oversee the commission, with specific leadership from Senate and House committees, and sets an effective date of January 1, 2027.

Who It Affects

• State agencies, departments, and programs funded by the state: must prepare evaluation plans for new programs and major expansions, provide data and materials to the commission as needed, and participate in evaluation processes; funding and requirements are subject to legislative appropriations and approved budgets.
• Legislature and its leadership (through the Legislative Committee on the Evaluation of Services): gains governance over the commission, including appointment of the director, staffing decisions, budgeting, and publication of evaluation standards and reports; also responsible for oversight and meeting requirements.

Key Provisions

• Creates the Alabama Commission on the Evaluation of Services as a legislative department (Chapter 2B) and repeals the existing Chapter 2A.
• Establishes a director selected by and supervised by the Legislative Committee on the Evaluation of Services; authorizes hiring staff and sets compensation within legislative appropriations.
• Creates a Fund in the State Treasury for the commission and allows state appropriations and grants; restricts spending to funds appropriated by the Legislature.
• Requires data sharing from state agencies (subject to privacy and federal restrictions) and authorizes the commission to request available data and materials needed for evaluations.
• Defines key terms (agency, causal impact evaluation, evaluation plan, logic model, major expansion, new program, preliminary study, priority evaluation question).
• Mandates the commission to publish evaluation standards on its website and to publish evaluation reports for submitted programs.
• Requires agencies to prepare evaluation plans for new programs/major expansions, including objectives, target population, activities, inputs, outputs, outcomes, indicators, data sources, and a logic model; agencies must categorize evaluation type and propose causal impact evaluations when appropriate.
• Allows the Legislature to require evaluations through appropriations language, including conditions on funding based on evaluation plans and specific reporting deadlines.
• Authorizes preliminary studies directed by the Legislature, with scope, methodology, and reporting requirements, and requires publication and distribution to legislative committees.
• Creates a 12-member Legislative Committee, comprising chairs and vice-chairs from key Senate and House committees, plus minority leaders, with alternating yearly chairs, meeting requirements, and per diem compensation.
• Effective date is January 1, 2027.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 19, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Legislature