SB158 • 2026

Public high schools, required to designate time and space for military recruiters to administer the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery to students on campus on a voluntary basis

Education

Enacted

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

Sponsor: Price (R)
Last action: 2026-04-17
Official status: Enacted
Effective date: 2026-10-01

Plain English Breakdown

While the bill text mentions that higher education institutions must grant access, it specifically requires only 'city and county public high schools' to designate a specific day for testing.

Public High Schools Must Set Aside Time for Military Testing

This law requires all public high schools in Alabama to set aside one day each fall semester so military recruiters can give the ASVAB test to students on campus.

What This Bill Does

Requires every city and county public high school system to pick one specific day during the fall semester for testing.
Allows military recruiters from the U.S. Armed Forces or Department of Homeland Security to come onto campus to give tests.
Mandates that schools provide appropriate space and accommodations needed for students to take the test.
States clearly that taking this test is voluntary, meaning no student has to participate.

Who It Names or Affects

All city and county public high school systems in Alabama
Military recruiters from the United States Armed Forces
Recruiters from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security
High school students who choose to take the test

Terms To Know

ASVAB: Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, a standardized test used by military recruiters.
Voluntary basis: Students can choose whether or not to take the test; they are not forced to do so.

Limits and Unknowns

The law does not specify exactly how schools must schedule this day within their regular school calendar.
The text does not list specific details about what counts as 'appropriate testing accommodations' for students with special needs.
This rule applies only to public high schools and does not mention private or charter schools.

Bill History

2026-04-17 Senate
Enacted
2026-04-08 House
Signature Requested
2026-04-08 Senate
Delivered to Governor
2026-04-08 Senate
Enrolled
2026-04-08 Senate
Ready to Enroll
2026-04-07 House
Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 1235 (Yeas 104, Nays 0)
2026-04-07 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
2026-01-27 Senate
Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 153 (Yeas 33, Nays 0)
2026-01-27 Senate
Third Reading in House of Origin (Yeas 33, Nays 0)
2026-01-27 House
Pending Committee Action in Second House
2026-01-27 House
Read for the first time and referred to the House Committee on Military and Veterans' Affairs
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 Veterans, Military Affairs and Public Safety

Official Summary Text

This act amends Section 16-1-25, Code of Alabama 1975, to require all public high schools to provide appropriate testing accommodations and designate one day during the fall semester for military recruiters to administer the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery to students on campus on a voluntary basis.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SB158 ENROLLED
Page 0
SB158
SL1BW55-2
By Senators Price, Livingston, Albritton, Sessions, Jones,
Bell, Melson, Chesteen, Williams, Hovey, Shelnutt, Smitherman,
Stewart, Kitchens, Kelley, Woods, Singleton, Coleman-Madison,
Coleman, Waggoner, Chambliss, Allen, Gudger
RFD: Veterans, Military Affairs and Public Safety
First Read: 14-Jan-26
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SB158 Enrolled
Page 1
First Read: 14-Jan-26
Enrolled, An Act,
Relating to public high schools; to amend Section
16-1-25, Code of Alabama 1975, to require public high schools
to designate a day for military recruiters to administer the
Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB), on a
voluntary basis, to students on campus.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
Section 1. Section 16-1-25 of the Code of Alabama 1975,
is amended to read as follows:
"§16-1-25
(a) All city and county public school systems and all
public institutions of higher education as defined by Section
16-5-1 and all divisions of public institutions of higher
education shall grant military recruiters of the United States
Armed Forces and United States Department of Homeland Security
the same information and access to students and campus
facilities as the institution grants to prospective employers
of students or to postsecondary institutions.
(b) In addition to the access provided in subsection
(a), all city and county public high schools shall annually
designate one school day during the fall semester for military
recruiters to administer the Armed Services Vocational
Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) to students on campus. The high
school shall provide appropriate testing accommodations and
the ASVAB shall be voluntary for students. "
Section 2. This act shall become effective on October
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SB158 Enrolled
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Section 2. This act shall become effective on October
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SB158 Enrolled
Page 3
1, 2026.
________________________________________________
President and Presiding Officer of the Senate
________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Representatives
SB158
Senate 27-Jan-26
I hereby certify that the within Act originated in and passed
the Senate.
Patrick Harris,
Secretary.
House of Representatives
Passed: 07-Apr-26
By: Senator Price
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