Senate Bill 59 Alabama 2026 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Arthur OrrSenator

Republican

Session

2026 Regular Session

Title

Higher education, to require public colleges and universities to submit annual report on the amount of state and federal funds received and expended, and plans for operating if federal or state funding reduced

Summary

SB59 would require every public higher education institution in Alabama to annually report funding receipts and expenditures and contingency plans, and would remove the Alabama Community College System from prior federal fund reporting.

What This Bill Does

The bill adds a new Section 41-4-98 requiring public colleges and universities to file an annual report by October 31 detailing the state and federal funds received and spent in the prior year, broken out by source. The report must also show the total state and federal funds appropriated by the Legislature, the percentage of the institution’s budget from these funds, and include a plan for operating if funding is reduced by 5% or more (or 20% or more). The Alabama Community College System must include information for each college it supervises. The Executive Budget Office will compile a summary for the Legislature by January 1, and the budget committees will hold hearings in even-numbered years to consider revised appropriations; the act takes effect on October 1, 2026.

Who It Affects

• Public institutions of higher education in Alabama (including four-year universities and the Alabama Community College System) will be required to prepare and submit annual funding reports and contingency plans.
• Executive Budget Office and the Legislature (Ways and Means Education; Finance and Taxation Education committees) will collect, summarize, and use these reports in budget decisions and subject them to hearings every even-numbered year.

Key Provisions

• Adds new Section 41-4-98 requiring annual reporting by October 31 on state and federal funds received and expended by public higher education institutions, with source breakdown and certification of accuracy.
• Reports must include amounts appropriated by the Legislature, the percentage of the budget from state/federal receipts, and a contingency plan for operating if funding is reduced by 5%+ or 20%+.
• The Alabama Community College System must include information for each college under its supervision.
• Executive Budget Office must provide a summary to the Legislature by January 1, with even-numbered-year budget hearings to consider revised appropriations.
• Amends existing law to remove the Alabama Community College System from federal fund reporting requirements and adds nonsubstantive technical revisions to update language; the act becomes effective October 1, 2026.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 12, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Appropriations; Education