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HB164 • 2026

University of Montevallo; board of trustees terms of office revised; quorum for meetings of board of trustees revised; and office of president qualifications revised

University of Montevallo; board of trustees terms of office revised; quorum for meetings of board of trustees revised; and office of president qualifications revised

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Ellis
Last action
2026-01-21
Official status
Read Second Time in House of Origin
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not provide specific dates or details about implementation, leaving some uncertainties.

University of Montevallo Board Changes

This bill changes the term length for trustees from 12 years to 8 years starting in 2027, limits trustees to serving no more than two terms on the board, reduces the number needed for a meeting quorum from five to six, and removes the requirement that the university president must be an educator by profession.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the term length for trustees from 12 years to 8 years starting in 2027.
  • Limits trustees to serving no more than two terms on the board.
  • Reduces the number of members needed to have a meeting (quorum) from five to six.
  • Removes the requirement that the university president must be an educator by profession.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Board of Trustees at the University of Montevallo
  • The President of the University of Montevallo

Terms To Know

Quorum
The minimum number of members needed to hold a meeting and make decisions.
Term Limit
A rule that limits how many times someone can be elected or appointed to an office.

Limits and Unknowns

  • It is not clear when the bill will officially take effect.
  • The bill does not specify what happens if a trustee serves more than two terms before the new rules start in 2027.

Bill History

  1. 2026-01-21 House

    Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar

  2. 2026-01-21 House

    Reported Out of Committee House of Origin

  3. 2026-01-13 House

    Pending Committee Action in House of Origin

  4. 2026-01-13 House

    Read for the first time and referred to the House Committee on Education Policy

Official Summary Text

University of Montevallo; board of trustees terms of office revised; quorum for meetings of board of trustees revised; and office of president qualifications revised

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
HB164 INTRODUCED
Page 0
HB164
ARHXCQQ-1
By Representatives Ellis, Bedsole
RFD: Education Policy
First Read: 13-Jan-26
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ARHXCQQ-1 01/08/2026 OW (L) 2025-2693
Page 1
First Read: 13-Jan-26
SYNOPSIS:
Under existing law, the trustees on the Board of
Trustees of the University of Montevallo are appointed
for terms of 12 years, and five members of the board
constitutes a quorum for meetings.
This bill would revise the term of office for
trustees and would place a limit on how many terms
trustees may serve.
This bill would revise the number of members of
the board that constitutes a quorum.
Also under existing law, to qualify for
appointment, the President of the University of
Montevallo must be an educator by profession.
This bill would remove the requirement that the
president of the university must be an educator by
profession.
This bill would also make nonsubstantive,
technical revisions to update the existing code
language to current style.
A BILL
TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
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HB164 INTRODUCED
Page 2
Relating to the University of Montevallo; to amend
Sections 16-54-2, and 16-54-5, Code of Alabama 1975; to revise
the terms of office of the Board of Trustees of the University
of Montevallo; to revise the number of board members that
constitutes a quorum; to remove the requirement that the
president of the university must be an educator by profession;
and to make nonsubstantive, technical revisions to update the
existing code language to current style.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
Section 1. Sections 16-54-2, and 16-54-5 of the Code of
Alabama 1975, are amended to read as follows:
"§16-54-2
The University of Montevallo shall be governed by a
board of trustees composed of the Governor, who shall be
president, ex officio, the State Superintendent of Education,
ex officio, and 11 other trustees ( as follows: (i) one from
each congressional district ,; (ii) up to one at-large trustee
who is not a resident of this state ,; and, (iii) until as
otherwise herein provided, a number of trustees from the
state-at-large sufficient to bring the number to or keep it at
11). Five Six members of the board shall constitute a quorum.
Trustees shall be appointed for a term of 12 years. Beginning
January 1, 2027, trustees shall be appointed for a term of
eight years. No trustee shall serve more than two terms on the
board of trustees. In case of the creation and establishment
of an additional congressional district in the state, the
state-at-large trustee most recently appointed shall cease
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HB164 INTRODUCED
Page 3
state-at-large trustee most recently appointed shall cease
automatically to be a trustee from the state-at-large and
become for the remainder of the term trustee for the new
district. Otherwise, all new appointees, except for a
nonresident appointee and the state-at-large appointees, shall
be at the time of their appointment, residents of the district
for which they are appointed, respectively. All appointments
of trustees shall be made by the Governor with the advice and
consent of the Senate. In case of a vacancy in the office of
trustee, the Governor shall appoint a successor, who shall
hold office until the next meeting of the Legislature, when
the Governor, by and with the advice and consent of the
Senate, shall appoint a trustee, who shall hold office for the
unexpired term. A trustee shall be ineligible to be elected by
the board of trustees to or otherwise hold any office of the
institution where compensation is provided. The trustees are
entitled to receive payment of their actual expenses incurred
in the discharge of their duties as trustees."
"§16-54-5
The trustees shall elect a president for a term to be
fixed by them, who shall not be removed during the term for
which he or she is elected, except for just cause, which shall
be explicitly set forth in writing in the minutes of the
proceedings of the trustees and approved by a majority of all
the trustees. No person individual shall be eligible to the
office of president unless he or she is a graduate of some
college or university of well known well-known high standing ,
an educator by profession , of good moral character , and
possessing good business and administrative qualifications.
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HB164 INTRODUCED
Page 4
possessing good business and administrative qualifications.
The trustees are encouraged to consider an individual who is
an educator by profession for the position of president. The
trustees shall fix the compensation of the president,
including such emoluments and prerequisites necessary to carry
out the functions of the office."
Section 2. This act shall become effective immediately.
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