Legislative Services Agency; complete a Rural Impact Report on legislation if requested

Education

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor: Travis
Last action: 2026-03-11
Official status: Read Second Time in House of Origin
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official text states the act becomes effective on October 1, 2026.

HB558: The RURAL Act

This law requires the Legislative Services Agency to create a Rural Impact Report on any bill if a lawmaker asks for one, analyzing effects on rural communities, farms, and schools.

What This Bill Does

Requires the Legislative Services Agency to write a Rural Impact Report when a legislator requests it for a pending bill.
Mandates that reports analyze economic, social, and regulatory impacts on rural communities.
Orders specific assessments of consequences for farmers and agricultural businesses.
Includes a breakdown of effects by legislative district and affected rural communities.
Requires comparisons between the impact on rural districts versus suburban and urban areas to find disparities.
Assesses how bills affect rural school districts, including funding, enrollment, resources, teacher stability, and potential closures.
Identifies benefits, costs, and unintended consequences of the proposed legislation.
Requires reports to use data from agencies, experts, education officials, and rural stakeholders.
Sets a goal for the agency to finish each report within 30 days of receiving a request.
Allows extra time if data is hard to find, requiring written notice to the legislator with an estimated completion date.
Makes completed reports available on the Legislature's official website and provides copies to committees and stakeholders upon request.

Who It Names or Affects

The Legislative Services Agency, which must write the reports.
Members of the Legislature who can ask for the reports.
Rural communities, farmers, agricultural businesses, and rural school districts whose impacts are studied.
Suburban and urban areas included in comparative analysis sections.

Terms To Know

Legislative Services Agency: The state office responsible for researching bills and writing the required impact reports.
Rural Impact Report: A document that explains how a proposed law will affect rural areas, farms, schools, and communities compared to urban and suburban areas.

Limits and Unknowns

Reports are only written when a legislator specifically asks for them; they do not happen automatically for every bill.
The agency must try to finish reports in 30 days but can take longer if data is hard to find.

Bill History

2026-03-11 House
Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar
2026-03-11 House
Reported Out of Committee House of Origin
2026-03-03 House
Pending Committee Action in House of Origin
2026-03-03 House
Read for the first time and referred to the House Committee on Urban and Rural Development

Official Summary Text

Legislative Services Agency; complete a Rural Impact Report on legislation if requested

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB558 INTRODUCED
Page 0
HB558
BYXRBQ4-1
By Representatives Travis, Lands, Tillman, Gray, Jackson,
McClammy, Hollis, Clarke, Forte
RFD: Urban and Rural Development
First Read: 03-Mar-26
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BYXRBQ4-1 02/23/2026 EGC (L)EGC 2026-1000
Page 1
First Read: 03-Mar-26
SYNOPSIS:
This bill would establish a formal process
requiring the Legislative Services Agency to complete a
Rural Impact Report if so requested by a legislator on
any bill pending before the Legislature.
This bill would specify the issues that must be
assessed in a Rural Impact Report, including the impact
on school systems and consequences to farmers and
agricultural businesses, broken down by legislative
districts and affected rural communities, and would
require the incorporation of data from experts and
rural stakeholders.
This bill would establish a time frame for
completing a report.
A BILL
TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
Relating to the Legislature; to require the Legislative
Services Agency to complete a Rural Impact Report on a bill,
if so requested; and to set parameters for the contents of a
report.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
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HB558 INTRODUCED
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
Section 1. This act shall be known as the Reviewing
Urban-Rural Asymmetries in Legislation (RURAL) Act.
Section 2. The purpose of this act is to ensure that
proposed legislation is evaluated for its potential effects on
rural communities, agricultural stakeholders, and rural school
districts before enactment, promoting informed decision-making
and transparency in the legislative process. Additionally,
this act provides comparative analysis between rural,
suburban, and urban districts to highlight disparities and
ensure balanced policymaking.
Section 3. (a) Any member of the Legislature may submit
a formal request for a Rural Impact Report on any bill
introduced in a legislative session.
(b) Requests shall be submitted to the Legislative
Services Agency, which shall be responsible for conducting the
assessment.
Section 4. (a) A Rural Impact Report shall include all
of the following:
(1) An analysis of the bill's direct and indirect
effects on rural communities, including economic, social, and
regulatory impacts.
(2) A specific assessment of the potential consequences
for farmers and agricultural businesses.
(3) A localized breakdown of effects by legislative
district and affected rural communities.
(4) A comparative analysis of the bill's projected
impact on rural districts versus suburban and urban districts,
including any identified disparities or differential
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HB558 INTRODUCED
Page 3
including any identified disparities or differential
consequences.
(5) An assessment of the bill's impact on rural school
districts, including, but not limited to, school funding and
budget allocations; student enrollment and demographic shifts;
access to educational resources, including technology and
extracurricular programs; teacher recruitment, retention, and
workforce stability; and potential for school closures or
consolidations due to legislative changes.
(6) Identification of potential benefits, costs, and
unintended consequences of the proposed legislation.
(b) Reports shall incorporate data from relevant
agencies, industry experts, education officials, and rural
stakeholders to ensure accuracy and comprehensiveness.
Section 5. (a) The Legislative Services Agency shall
endeavor to complete the Rural Impact Report within 30 days of
receiving a valid request.
(b) If additional time is needed due to data
limitations, the Legislative Services Agency shall notify the
requesting legislator in writing with an estimated completion
date.
Section 6. (a) Completed Rural Impact Reports shall be
made publicly available through the official website of the
Legislature.
(b) Copies shall also be provided to the requesting
legislator, relevant legislative committees, and rural
stakeholder organizations upon request.
Section 7. This act shall become effective on October
1, 2026.
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