SB149 • 2026

Teacher certification; Military Veteran Temporary Teaching Certificate established

Children Education Healthcare Taxes

Enacted

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

Sponsor: Woods
Last action: 2026-03-03
Official status: Enacted
Effective date: 2026-10-01

Plain English Breakdown

The law states that other admission criteria may be established by the State Board of Education, so additional requirements could exist beyond those listed.

New Temporary Teaching Certificate for Military Veterans in Alabama

This law creates a one-time, five-year temporary teaching certificate for military veterans who meet specific service and education requirements to teach in fields that normally require a bachelor's degree.

What This Bill Does

Creates a new Military Veteran Temporary Teaching Certificate valid for five school years.
Requires the State Board of Education to set rules for issuing this certificate in teaching fields that otherwise need a bachelor's degree.
Mandates that veterans must have served at least 48 months on active duty with an honorable discharge or medical separation.
Sets education requirements including completing 60 college credits, having a 2.5 GPA, and passing the Praxis content test.
Requires applicants to pass a criminal background check under the Alabama Child Protection Act of 1999.
Requires school administrators to recommend applicants before they receive the certificate.
Assigns every new teacher under this program a mentor for their first two years of work.

Who It Names or Affects

Military veterans who want to become teachers in Alabama without holding a bachelor's degree yet.
The State Board of Education, which must create and manage the certificate rules.
Public and private K-12 school administrators who must recommend applicants.

Terms To Know

Praxis content test: A standardized exam that checks if a person knows the subject they plan to teach, part of the Alabama Educator Certification Assessment Program (AECAP).
Honorable discharge or medical separation: Official ways of leaving military service with good standing due to completing duty or health reasons.
Mentor Program: A system where an experienced teacher guides and supports a new teacher for two years, either assigned by the superintendent or through the Alabama Teacher Mentor Program.

Limits and Unknowns

The certificate can only be issued once per person and cannot be renewed after five school years.
Time spent teaching with this temporary certificate does not count toward long-term employment status benefits (continued service status).
People who get this certificate are not allowed to apply for an emergency teacher certificate.

Amendments

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

W1NQH9E-1

R 132 • Woods

Adopted

Plain English: This amendment clarifies that time spent teaching with a temporary military veteran certificate does not count toward permanent job status and prevents these teachers from getting emergency certificates.

Time served as a teacher using this new temporary certificate will not be counted when deciding if someone has continued service status.
People who get this temporary certificate are not allowed to receive an emergency teaching certificate.

The official text provided is incomplete and cuts off in the middle of a sentence, so rules about how teachers will be notified or other details from Section (f) cannot be explained.
The amendment mentions that the State Board of Education must create new rules, but it does not say what those specific rules are.

Bill History

2026-03-03 Senate
Enacted
2026-02-25 Senate
Delivered to Governor
2026-02-25 House
Signature Requested
2026-02-25 Senate
Enrolled
2026-02-25 Senate
Ready to Enroll
2026-02-25 Senate
Ready to Enroll
2026-02-24 House
Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 543 (Yeas 103, Nays 1)
2026-02-24 House
Third Reading in Second House (Yeas 103, Nays 0)
2026-02-05 House
Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar
2026-02-04 House
Reported Out of Committee Second House
2026-01-29 House
Re-referred to Committee in Second House
2026-01-29 House
Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar
2026-01-28 House
Reported Out of Committee Second House
2026-01-22 Senate
Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 133 (Yeas 32, Nays 0)
2026-01-22 Senate
Woods motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 132 (Yeas 32, Nays 0)
2026-01-22 Senate
Third Reading in House of Origin (Yeas 32, Nays 0)
2026-01-22 House
Pending Committee Action in Second House
2026-01-22 House
Read for the first time and referred to the House Committee on Education Policy
2026-01-22 Senate
Engrossed
2026-01-22 Senate
Woods 1st Amendment Offered
2026-01-21 Senate
Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar
2026-01-21 Senate
Reported Out of Committee House of Origin
2026-01-14 Senate
Pending Committee Action in House of Origin
2026-01-14 Senate
Read for the first time and referred to the Senate Committee on Education Policy

Official Summary Text

This act adds Section 16-23-3.2 to the Code of Alabama 1975, to: (1) require the State Board of Education to establish a one-time Military Veteran Temporary Teaching Certificate valid for five years for a teaching field otherwise requiring a bachelor's degree, subject to limitations; (2) provide criteria that veterans must satisfy to receive a certificate including serving a minimum length of time in the military, completing a minimum number of college credits, achieving a minimum Praxis content test score, receiving a recommendation from a public or private K-12 school administrator, and passing a criminal background check; and (3) require these veterans to be mentored for the initial two years of service.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SB149 ENROLLED
Page 0
SB149
5VGB936-3
By Senators Woods, Williams, Figures, Coleman, Roberts, Bell,
Jones, Kitchens, Carnley, Weaver, Elliott, Allen, Hovey,
Kelley, Price, Orr, Barfoot, Albritton, Stutts
RFD: Education Policy
First Read: 14-Jan-26
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SB149 Enrolled
Page 1
First Read: 14-Jan-26
Enrolled, An Act,
Relating to K-12 teacher certification; to add Section
16-23-3.2 to the Code of Alabama 1975; to establish the
Military Veteran Temporary Teaching Certificate, to authorize
the State Board of Education to grant temporary teaching
certificates to veterans who meet certain requirements for
providing instruction in certain teaching fields for which the
state board otherwise requires a bachelor's degree.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
Section 1. Section 16-23-3.2 is added to the Code of
Alabama 1975, to read as follows:
§16-23-3.2
(a) The State Board of Education shall establish a
Military Veteran Temporary Teaching Certificate. A Military
Veteran Temporary Teaching Certificate shall be available for
a teaching field for which the state board otherwise requires
a bachelor's degree. The department may issue a temporary
certificate pursuant to this section to any applicant who:
(1) Documents 48 months of active duty military service
with an honorable discharge or a medical separation;
(2) Submits to the state board the required application
forms and fees and satisfactorily completes a criminal history
background information check pursuant to the Alabama Child
Protection Act of 1999;
(3) Is recommended for certification by a local
superintendent of education or private K-12 school
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SB149 Enrolled
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superintendent of education or private K-12 school
administrator; and
(4) Verifies compliance with all of the following
admission criteria:
a. Completion of 60 college credits with a minimum
cumulative grade point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale, as
evidenced by one or more accredited institutions of higher
education.
b. A passing score on the appropriate Praxis content
test of the Alabama Educator Certification Assessment Program
(AECAP).
c. Any other admission criteria established by the
State Board of Education.
(b) After receiving temporary certification, the
individual shall be assigned a mentor by the employing
superintendent for a minimum of two school years after
commencing employment, or participate in the Alabama Teacher
Mentor Program if hired by a local board of education that
participates in the program.
(c) A temporary certificate issued pursuant to this
section is valid for five school years, is limited to a
one-time issuance, and is nonrenewable.
(d) Time served as a teacher pursuant to a temporary
certificate under this section shall not be counted in
determining continued service status.
(e) Individuals who receive a temporary certificate
under this section shall not be available to receive an
emergency certificate pursuant to Section 16-23-3(f).
(f) When notifying the individual of his or her
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SB149 Enrolled
Page 3
(f) When notifying the individual of his or her
temporary certificate approval, the department shall also
inform the individual of the certificate's expiration date and
provide a list of methods to complete the qualifications for a
professional certificate.
(g) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules to
implement this section.
Section 2. This act shall become effective on October
1, 2026.
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SB149 Enrolled
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1, 2026.
________________________________________________
President and Presiding Officer of the Senate
________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Representatives
SB149
Senate 22-Jan-26
I hereby certify that the within Act originated in and passed
the Senate, as amended.
Patrick Harris,
Secretary.
House of Representatives
Passed: 24-Feb-26
By: Senator Woods
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