HB511 • 2026

Public K-12 education; Pledge of Allegiance and prayer required each day, constitutional amendment

Education Elections

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor: Ingram
Last action: 2026-04-09
Official status: Enacted
Effective date: Contingent

Plain English Breakdown

The bill is enacted by the legislature but remains contingent on voter approval in an election before it becomes part of the constitution.

HB511: Daily Pledge of Allegiance and Student-Led Prayer in Alabama Schools

This bill proposes a change to the state constitution that would require public schools to hold daily pledges at the start of each day, allow student-led prayers if no one is forced to join, and let students opt out based on their beliefs.

What This Bill Does

Requires local school boards to create policies for reciting the Pledge of Allegiance at the beginning of each school day in public K-12 schools.
Allows public K-12 schools to hold prayers that are started and led by students, as long as no student is required to participate.
Ensures students have the right to opt out of participating in either the pledge or the prayer based on their own beliefs.
Sets up a process for reporting violations of these rules to local superintendents of education.

Who It Names or Affects

Local boards of education
Public K-12 schools and their staff
Students in public K-12 schools

Terms To Know

Constitutional Amendment: A formal change to the state constitution that must be approved by voters.
Local Board of Education: The group in charge of making rules for schools in a specific area or district.

Limits and Unknowns

This law only takes effect if voters approve it in an election.
The bill does not specify the exact time during the school day when prayers must happen, other than requiring them to be allowed.

Amendments

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

FKVHWDC-1

R 812

Adopted

Plain English: This amendment proposes changing the Alabama Constitution to require all public K-12 schools to start each day with a prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, while allowing students to choose whether or not they participate.

Local school boards must create policies requiring every public K-12 school to conduct both The Pledge of Allegiance and a prayer at the beginning of the first class each day.
Students are given the option to voluntarily recite The Pledge, but no student can be forced to say or participate in the required daily prayer.
The State Superintendent of Education is authorized to investigate reports that schools are refusing to follow these new rules.
If a school district intentionally and repeatedly refuses to comply, 25% of its state funding will be withheld for the next year, with further cuts possible if violations continue.

This text is only a proposal; it cannot take effect until voters approve it in an election.
The specific wording or content of the daily prayer is not defined in this amendment.
The exact process for how schools will handle students who choose not to participate during these activities is not detailed.

BYK33J4-1

R 813

Adopted

Plain English: This amendment changes the bill to require schools to say the Pledge of Allegiance daily while allowing, but not forcing, student-led prayer.

Requires every public K-12 school to conduct the Pledge of Allegiance at the start of each day.
Allows local school boards to create policies for prayers that are started and led by students.
Ensures no student can be forced to join in either the Pledge or a prayer if they choose not to.
Gives the State Superintendent of Education power to take action against schools that break these rules.

The text does not explain exactly what 'appropriate action' means for schools that violate the new rules.
It is unclear how local school boards will decide which specific times or places student-led prayers can happen.

BYKTDJJ-1

R 814 • Ingram

Adopted

Plain English: This amendment changes how schools can meet daily requirements for prayer by allowing a moment of silence to count as the required activity.

Schools are allowed to hold a moment of silence instead of other forms of prayer to follow the new rules.

The provided text only shows specific line replacements and does not include the full bill, so it is unclear what other requirements exist for schools.
It is unknown if this change applies to all grades or just certain classes because the surrounding context of the law is missing.

RBZ41MM-1

R 815

Adopted

Plain English: This amendment changes the bill to require schools to recite the Pledge of Allegiance daily and adopt policies allowing students to lead their own prayers.

Requires public K-12 schools to say the Pledge of Allegiance at the start of every school day.
Requires local school boards to create a policy that allows prayer started and led by students.

The provided text only shows specific line replacements, so it is unclear what rules were removed or how violations will be investigated without the full original bill text.
The exact wording of the new student-led prayer policy details is not included in this amendment snippet.

2JQG1KI-1

R 816 • Ingram

Adopted

Plain English: This amendment changes the bill to require certain private schools receiving state tuition funds to hold a daily Pledge of Allegiance and allow student-led prayer, while ensuring students can choose not to participate.

Private schools that receive specific state tuition money must start each school day with the Pledge of Allegiance before the first class begins.
These private schools must create a policy allowing prayers if they are started and led by students, but no student can be forced to join in.
The amendment guarantees that every student has the right to opt out of both the Pledge of Allegiance and any prayer based on their own beliefs.

The text does not explain exactly what happens if a school fails to follow these new rules, other than mentioning violations can be reported.
It is unclear from this amendment alone how the rule applies to public schools since it only provides specific details for private schools.

Bill History

2026-04-09 House
Enacted
2026-04-09 Senate
Signature Requested
2026-04-09 House
Enrolled
2026-04-09 House
Ready to Enroll
2026-04-08 Senate
Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 1294 (Yeas 30, Nays 0)
2026-03-17 Senate
Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar
2026-03-17 Senate
Reported Out of Committee Second House
2026-03-11 Senate
Pending Committee Action in Second House
2026-03-11 Senate
Read for the first time and referred to the Senate Committee on Education Policy
2026-03-10 House
Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 817 (Yeas 94, Nays 3)
2026-03-10 House
Ingram motion to Table - Adopted Roll Call 816 (Yeas 72, Nays 26)
2026-03-10 House
Motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 815 (Yeas 102, Nays 0)
2026-03-10 House
Ingram motion to Table - Adopted Roll Call 814 (Yeas 74, Nays 27)
2026-03-10 House
Motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 813 (Yeas 96, Nays 0)
2026-03-10 House
Motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 812 (Yeas 88, Nays 0)
2026-03-10 House
Third Reading in House of Origin (Yeas 73, Nays 5)
2026-03-10 House
Engrossed
2026-03-10 House
Datcher intended to vote "Abstain"
2026-03-10 House
Bracy intended to vote "Nay"
2026-03-10 House
Sellers 1st Amendment Offered
2026-03-10 House
Drummond 1st Amendment Offered
2026-03-10 House
Lands 1st Amendment Offered
2026-03-10 House
Faulkner 1st Amendment Offered
2026-03-10 House
State Government 1st Substitute Offered
2026-03-05 House
Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar
2026-03-04 House
Reported Out of Committee House of Origin
2026-03-04 House
State Government 1st Substitute
2026-02-25 House
Pending Committee Action in House of Origin
2026-02-25 House
Read for the first time and referred to the House Committee on State Government

Official Summary Text

This act proposes an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 2022, to: (1) require local boards of education to adopt policies requiring each public K-12 school to conduct the Pledge of Allegiance to the United States flag at the beginning of each day; (2) require local boards of education to adopt policies requiring each public K-12 school to allow a student initiated and led prayer so long as no student is required to participate; and (3) require that any policy adopted under this act allows students to opt out of participating based on their own beliefs.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB511 ENROLLED
Page 0
HB511
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By Representative Ingram (Constitutional Amendment)
RFD: State Government
First Read: 25-Feb-26
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HB511 Enrolled
Page 1
First Read: 25-Feb-26
Enrolled, An Act,
Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama
of 2022, to require local boards of education to adopt
policies requiring each public K-12 school to conduct The
Pledge of Allegiance to the United States flag each day; to
authorize local boards of education to adopt policies allowing
student-initiated and student-led prayer to be conducted in
public K-12 schools; and to provide for the report and
investigation of violations.
Section 1. The following amendment to the Constitution
of Alabama of 2022, is proposed:
PROPOSED AMENDMENT
(a) Each local board of education shall adopt a policy
requiring each public K-12 school under its jurisdiction, at
the beginning of each school day, to conduct The Pledge of
Allegiance to the United States flag and give all students the
opportunity to voluntarily recite The Pledge of Allegiance to
the United States flag.
(b) Each local board of education shall adopt a policy
requiring each public K-12 school under its jurisdiction to
allow a prayer to be conducted, provided that:
(1) The prayer must be initiated by and led by a
student; and
(2) No student may be required to participate in a
prayer.
(c) Any policy adopted by a local board of education
pursuant to this section shall ensure that students have the
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HB511 Enrolled
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pursuant to this section shall ensure that students have the
right to opt out of participation in the Pledge of Allegiance
or the prayer based on their own beliefs.
(d) Violations of this section may be reported to the
local superintendent of education. The local superintendent of
education shall review the violation.
Upon ratification of this constitutional amendment, the
Code Commissioner shall number and place this amendment as
appropriate in the constitution omitting this instructional
paragraph and may make the following nonsubstantive revisions:
change capitalization, hierarchy, spelling, and punctuation
for purposes of style and uniformity; correct manifest
grammatical, clerical, and typographical errors; revise
internal or external citations and cross-references; harmonize
language; and translate effective dates.
END OF PROPOSED AMENDMENT
Section 2. An election upon the proposed amendment
shall be held in accordance with Sections 284 and 285 of the
Constitution of Alabama of 2022, and the election laws of this
state. The appropriate election official shall assign a ballot
number for the proposed constitutional amendment on the
election ballot and shall set forth the following description
of the substance or subject matter of the proposed
constitutional amendment:
"Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama
of 2022, to require local boards of education to adopt
policies requiring each public K-12 school to recite The
Pledge of Allegiance to the United States flag at the
beginning of each school day; and to require local boards of
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beginning of each school day; and to require local boards of
education to adopt a policy authorizing student-initiated and
student-led prayer.
Proposed by Act ____."
This description shall be followed by the following
language:
"Yes( ) No( )."
Section 3. The proposed amendment shall become valid as
a part of the Constitution of Alabama of 2022, when approved
by a majority of the qualified electors voting thereon.
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by a majority of the qualified electors voting thereon.
________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Representatives
________________________________________________
President and Presiding Officer of the Senate
House of Representatives
I hereby certify that the within Act originated in and
was passed by the House 10-Mar-26.
John Treadwell
Clerk
Senate 08-Apr-26 Passed
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