Senate Bill 364 Alabama 2026 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Rodger SmithermanSenator

Democrat

Session

2026 Regular Session

Title

Public K-12 education; violence prevention, conflict resolution, and mediation instruction required before graduation from high school beginning in sixth grade, State Board of Education required to adopt standards

Summary

Requires public school students in grades 6-12 to complete violence prevention, conflict resolution, and mediation instruction before graduating, with standards set by the State Department of Education.

What This Bill Does

Starting with the 2027-2028 school year, students in grades 6-12 must complete a course or program on violence prevention, conflict resolution, and mediation before graduation. The course must cover topics such as responsible decision-making, causes and effects of violence and harassment, cultural diversity, nonviolent conflict resolution (including peer mediation), consequences of violent behavior, causes of violent reactions to conflict, nonviolent conflict resolution techniques, the relationship between drugs/alcohol and violence, and the use of voluntary peer mediation programs. The Department of Education will provide instructional materials and training support, local boards will determine the curriculum, and the State Board will adopt necessary rules to implement the program; the act becomes effective October 1, 2026.

Who It Affects

• Public school students in grades 6-12 who must take the course before graduation (beginning in 2027-2028).
• Local boards of education (school districts): must determine the appropriate curriculum and implement the course in their districts.
• State Department of Education: must develop standards, provide instructional materials and curricula guidelines, and assist with teacher training.
• Teachers: will receive training and resources to deliver the approved instruction.
• State Board of Education: must adopt rules necessary to implement the act.

Key Provisions

• Requires a violence prevention, conflict resolution, and mediation course or program for grades 6-12 to be completed before high school graduation (effective for the 2027-2028 school year).
• Course topics include responsible decision-making; causes/effects of violence and harassment; cultural diversity; nonviolent conflict resolution methods (including peer mediation); consequences of violent behavior; causes of violent reactions to conflict; nonviolent conflict resolution techniques; relationship between drugs/alcohol and violence; and voluntary peer mediation programs in classrooms.
• Department of Education must prepare and provide instructional materials, models, and curricula guidelines; local boards determine the curriculum; DOE assists with teacher training.
• State Board of Education must adopt rules necessary to implement the act.
• Act becomes effective October 1, 2026.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano-2025-08-07 on Mar 11, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Education