Public K-12 schools; home school students authorized to attend career and technical education programs in certain circumstances

Children Education

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor: DuBose
Last action: 2026-03-05
Official status: Read Second Time in Second House
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill becomes effective on October 1, 2026, but participation begins with the 2027-2028 school year.

HB183: Allowing Homeschool Students to Join Public Career and Technical Education Programs

Starting in the 2027-2028 school year, this law allows homeschool students to join career and technical education programs at public schools if they meet certain conditions.

What This Bill Does

Allows homeschool students to participate in career and technical education (CTE) programs offered by public K-12 schools beginning with the 2027-2028 school year.
Requires homeschool students to enroll as nontraditional public school students.
Requires homeschool students to pay course fees equal to those charged to enrolled public school students.
States that if a CTE program has limited space, current public school students must be enrolled before considering applications from homeschool students.
Allows full-time, stand-alone career and technical education schools to choose whether or not to allow homeschool students in their programs.
Requires the State Board of Education and local boards of education to adopt rules and policies for how these programs will work.

Who It Names or Affects

Homeschool students who want to take career and technical classes at public schools
Public K-12 school districts that offer career and technical education programs
Full-time, stand-alone career and technical education schools
The State Board of Education and local boards of education

Terms To Know

Career and Technical Education (CTE): An area of study that blends academic, occupational, and life skills leading to a credential, employment, or further education.
Homeschool Student: A student instructed by a private tutor under state law, or taught at home while enrolled in a private school or church school as defined by state law.

Limits and Unknowns

Full-time, stand-alone career and technical education schools are not required to accept homeschool students.
Homeschool students can only join CTE programs if there is space left after all current public school students are enrolled.
Specific rules about how the program will be run have not been written yet because they must first be adopted by state and local boards.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

7BCHRV2-1

Finance and Taxation Education

Finance and Taxation Education 2nd Amendment

Plain English: This amendment clarifies that a home school student is defined as any K-12 learner receiving instruction at home under specific Alabama state laws.

The bill now defines a 'home school student' specifically as a child in grades kindergarten through 12 who gets their education at home.

This amendment only changes the definition of a home school student and does not explain how they can join career programs or what rules apply to those programs.
The text refers to specific Alabama law sections (16-1-11.1 and 16-1-11.2) that are not included here, so the exact details of authorized home instruction cannot be fully explained.

L54USYW-1

Finance and Taxation Education

Finance and Taxation Education 1st Amendment

Plain English: This amendment clarifies that home school students can join public career and technical education programs if they live in the same district, though schools may allow out-of-district students after prioritizing local ones.

Home school students must generally live in the same school district as the public program to enroll.
School boards are allowed to let home school students from outside their district join if they choose.
When accepting out-of-district students, schools must give priority to students who live inside the district first.

The provided text cuts off mid-sentence regarding course fees and other requirements, so those details cannot be explained fully.

Bill History

2026-03-05 Senate
Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar
2026-03-04 Senate
Reported Out of Committee Second House
2026-03-04 Senate
Finance and Taxation Education 2nd Amendment
2026-03-04 Senate
Finance and Taxation Education 1st Amendment
2026-02-05 Senate
Pending Committee Action in Second House
2026-02-05 Senate
Read for the first time and referred to the Senate Committee on Finance and Taxation Education
2026-02-03 House
Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 255 (Yeas 85, Nays 2)
2026-02-03 House
Third Reading in House of Origin (Yeas 89, Nays 2)
2026-01-29 House
Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar
2026-01-28 House
Reported Out of Committee House of Origin
2026-01-13 House
Pending Committee Action in House of Origin
2026-01-13 House
Read for the first time and referred to the House Committee on Education Policy

Official Summary Text

Public K-12 schools; home school students authorized to attend career and technical education programs in certain circumstances

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB183 INTRODUCED
Page 0
HB183
BYBICJJ-1
By Representatives DuBose, Collins, Garrett
RFD: Education Policy
First Read: 13-Jan-26
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BYBICJJ-1 01/07/2026 GP (L)lg 2026-84
Page 1
First Read: 13-Jan-26
SYNOPSIS:
Under existing law, career and technical
education programs are available to students at certain
public schools.
Existing law does not authorize home school
students to participate in any class or program offered
by a public school.
This bill would authorize home school students
to participate in career and technical education
programs at public schools, except that full-time,
stand-alone career and technical education schools may
choose whether to opt in to home school student
participation.
This bill would provide conditions that a home
school student must meet in order to participate in a
career and technical education program.
This bill would require the State Board of
Education and each local board of education to adopt
rules relating to the participation of home school
students in career and technical education
programs.
A BILL
TO BE ENTITLED
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HB183 INTRODUCED
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TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
Relating to public K-12 education; to authorize home
school students to participate in certain career and technical
education programs at K-12 public schools; to provide
exemptions for full-time career and technical education
schools; and to require the State Board of Education and local
boards of education to adopt appropriate rules and
policies.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
Section 1. (a) For the purposes of this section, the
following terms have the following meanings:
(1) CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION or CTE. An area of
study that blends academic, occupational, and life skills
leading to a credential, employment, or further education.
(2) HOME SCHOOL STUDENT. A student who is instructed by
a private tutor pursuant to Section 16-28-5, Code of Alabama
1975, or who is taught at home and is enrolled in a private
school or a church school as defined in Section 16-28-1, Code
of Alabama 1975.
(3) STATE BOARD. The State Board of Education.
(b) Beginning with the 2027-2028 school year, a home
school student may participate in any career and technical
education program offered by a public school, provided that:
(1) The home school student enrolls as a nontraditional
public school student; and
(2) The home school student pays any course fees in an
amount equal to the fee charged to an enrolled public school
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HB183 INTRODUCED
Page 3
amount equal to the fee charged to an enrolled public school
student.
(c) In the event that a CTE program has limited
enrollment capacity, a home school student who wishes to
enroll in the CTE program shall be considered for enrollment
after current public school students are enrolled.
(d)(1) The state board shall adopt rules to implement
and administer this section.
(2) Each local board of education shall adopt a policy
reflecting the requirements of this section and rules adopted
by the state board.
(e) This section does not require any full-time,
stand-alone career and technical education school to allow
home school students to participate in its career and
technical education programs. However, any full-time,
stand-alone career and technical education school may choose
to allow home school students to participate in its career and
technical education programs pursuant to this section.
Section 2. This act shall become effective on October
1, 2026.
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