Back to Alabama

SB272 • 2026

Open Records; use of public records relating to schools for certain solicitation purposes prohibited; redaction of certain information relating to financial transactions required

Open Records; use of public records relating to schools for certain solicitation purposes prohibited; redaction of certain information relating to financial transactions required

Education Labor Taxes
Enacted

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

Sponsor
Orr
Last action
2026-04-17
Official status
Enacted
Effective date
2026-04-16

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and text do not provide specific enforcement mechanisms beyond civil penalties imposed by the Attorney General.

Using School Records Safely

This law stops people from using school records to sell things and requires removing personal financial information from public documents about contracts.

What This Bill Does

  • Removes account numbers, tax IDs, routing numbers, employee IDs, and other details that could be used for money transactions from public records about contracts.
  • Does not allow anyone to use lists of names and addresses from school boards to sell or offer products and services.
  • School boards can ask people who want these records to sign a promise saying they won't misuse the information.
  • The Attorney General can fine someone up to $500 if they break this rule.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who request public school records
  • Local school board officials
  • Attorney General

Terms To Know

Redaction
The process of removing or covering up parts of a document to protect sensitive information.
Civil Penalty
A fine imposed by the government for breaking a law, usually not related to criminal behavior.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what happens if someone breaks this rule but is not caught.
  • It's unclear how strictly school boards will enforce these rules.

Amendments

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

PSACTEE-1

R 1316

Adopted

Plain English: PSACTEE-1 03/04/2026 PMG (H) HSE 2026-34 House Judiciary Reported Substitute for SB272 Page 1 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT Relating to public records requests; to require redaction from requested public records information that could be used to initiate a financial transaction; to prohibit the use of public records requested from a local board of education, which contain lists of names and addresses of individuals or entities, for the purpose of soliciting those individuals or entities; to authorize the Attorney General to impose civil penalties for violations; and to authorize the State Board of Education to adopt rules.

  • PSACTEE-1 03/04/2026 PMG (H) HSE 2026-34 House Judiciary Reported Substitute for SB272 Page 1 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT Relating to public records requests; to require redaction from requested public records information that could be used to initiate a financial transaction; to prohibit the use of public records requested from a local board of education, which contain lists of names and addresses of individuals or entities, for the purpose of soliciting those individuals or entities; to authorize the Attorney General to impose civil penalties for violations; and to authorize the State Board of Education to adopt rules.
  • BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA: Section 1.
  • When any records relating to a public contract for goods or services are requested pursuant to Article 3 of Chapter 12 of Title 36, Code of Alabama 1975, the public officer having custody of the records shall redact account numbers, tax identification numbers, routing numbers, employee identification numbers, sensitive personally identifying information as defined in Section 8-38-2, Code of Alabama 1975, and similar information that may be used to initiate a financial transaction.
  • Section 2.
  • This amendment summary is using official source text because generated interpretation was skipped for this run.
SLDRJ55-1

R 487 • Orr

Adopted

Plain English: SLDRJ55-1 : 2/16/2026 : PMG 1ST ORR AMENDMENT TO SB272 OFFERED BY SENATOR ORR Page 1 Replace line 38 on page 2 with the following: use of public records requested from a local board of education, Replace line 46 on page 2 with the following: contract for goods or services are requested from a local board of education pursuant to Replace line 50 on page 2 with the following: employee identification numbers, sensitive personally identifying information as defined in Section 8-38-2, Code of Alabama 1975, and similar information that Replace line 66 on page 3 with the following: subsection (a), prior to responding to the request, the public officer may require the person Replace lines 92 through 93 on page 4 with the following: Section 3.

  • SLDRJ55-1 : 2/16/2026 : PMG 1ST ORR AMENDMENT TO SB272 OFFERED BY SENATOR ORR Page 1 Replace line 38 on page 2 with the following: use of public records requested from a local board of education, Replace line 46 on page 2 with the following: contract for goods or services are requested from a local board of education pursuant to Replace line 50 on page 2 with the following: employee identification numbers, sensitive personally identifying information as defined in Section 8-38-2, Code of Alabama 1975, and similar information that Replace line 66 on page 3 with the following: subsection (a), prior to responding to the request, the public officer may require the person Replace lines 92 through 93 on page 4 with the following: Section 3.
  • This act shall become effective immediately.
  • 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
  • This amendment summary is using official source text because generated interpretation was skipped for this run.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-17 Senate

    Enacted

  2. 2026-04-09 House

    Signature Requested

  3. 2026-04-09 Senate

    Delivered to Governor

  4. 2026-04-09 Senate

    Enrolled

  5. 2026-04-08 House

    Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 1317 (Yeas 105, Nays 0)

  6. 2026-04-08 House

    Motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 1316 (Yeas 105, Nays 0)

  7. 2026-04-08 Senate

    Gudger Motion to Concur In and Adopt House Amendment - Adopted Roll Call 1265 (Yeas 33, Nays 0)

  8. 2026-04-08 Senate

    Ready to Enroll

  9. 2026-04-08 House

    Judiciary Engrossed Substitute Offered

  10. 2026-04-08 House

    Third Reading in Second House

  11. 2026-03-05 House

    Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar

  12. 2026-03-04 House

    Reported Out of Committee Second House

  13. 2026-02-19 Senate

    Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 488 (Yeas 29, Nays 0)

  14. 2026-02-19 Senate

    Orr motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 487 (Yeas 29, Nays 0)

  15. 2026-02-19 Senate

    Third Reading in House of Origin (Yeas 29, Nays 0)

  16. 2026-02-19 House

    Pending Committee Action in Second House

  17. 2026-02-19 House

    Read for the first time and referred to the House Committee on Judiciary

  18. 2026-02-19 Senate

    Engrossed

  19. 2026-02-19 Senate

    Orr 1st Amendment Offered

  20. 2026-02-12 Senate

    Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar

  21. 2026-02-11 Senate

    Reported Out of Committee House of Origin

  22. 2026-02-10 Senate

    Pending Committee Action in House of Origin

  23. 2026-02-10 Senate

    Read for the first time and referred to the Senate Committee on Finance and Taxation Education

Official Summary Text

This act: (1) requires the redaction of information that could be used to initiate a financial transaction from any requested public record regarding public contracts for goods or services; (2) prohibits the use of public records of local boards of education containing names and addresses to solicit those listed persons; (3) authorizes these boards to request written certification from a requestor that these names and addresses will not be used in violation of this prohibition; and (4) authorizes civil penalties not exceeding $500 in actions brought by the Attorney General for violations.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
SB272 ENROLLED
Page 0
SB272
PSACTEE-2
By Senator Orr
RFD: Finance and Taxation Education
First Read: 10-Feb-26
1
2
3
4
5
SB272 Enrolled
Page 1
First Read: 10-Feb-26
Enrolled, An Act,
Relating to public records requests; to require
redaction from requested public records information that could
be used to initiate a financial transaction; to prohibit the
use of public records requested from a local board of
education, which contain lists of names and addresses of
individuals or entities, for the purpose of soliciting those
individuals or entities; to authorize the Attorney General to
impose civil penalties for violations; and to authorize the
State Board of Education to adopt rules.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
Section 1. When any records relating to a public
contract for goods or services are requested pursuant to
Article 3 of Chapter 12 of Title 36, Code of Alabama 1975, the
public officer having custody of the records shall redact
account numbers, tax identification numbers, routing numbers,
employee identification numbers, sensitive personally
identifying information as defined in Section 8-38-2, Code of
Alabama 1975, and similar information that may be used to
initiate a financial transaction.
Section 2. (a) No person shall knowingly sell, give, or
receive any list of names and addresses contained in or
derived from public records requested from a local board of
education for the purpose of selling or offering for sale any
property or service to those individuals or entities listed
therein.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
SB272 Enrolled
Page 2
therein.
(b) Any person subject to this section who knowingly
violates subsection (a) shall be liable for the payment of a
civil penalty in an action brought by the Attorney General not
to exceed five hundred dollars ($500) for each violation.
(c) If a request is made for public records that
contain the names or addresses of individuals or entities
which the public officer having custody of the records has
reasonable cause to believe may be used in violation of
subsection (a), prior to responding to the request, the public
officer may require the person requesting the records or
information therein to provide, in addition to the
certification described in Section 36-12-45(b)(3), Code of
Alabama 1975, a written certification that the requester does
not intend to, and will not:
(1) Use any list of names or addresses contained in or
derived from the records or information for the purpose of
selling or offering for sale any property or service to any
individual or entity listed or to any individual who resides
at any address listed; or
(2) Sell, give, or otherwise make available to any
person any list of names or addresses contained in or derived
from the records or information for the purpose of allowing
that person to sell or offer for sale any property or service
to any individual or entity listed or to any individual who
resides at any address listed.
(d) This section shall not impose any liability on a
public officer having custody of a record for granting access
to or providing copies of public records or information
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
SB272 Enrolled
Page 3
to or providing copies of public records or information
containing names and addresses, in good faith compliance with
subsection (c), to a person who has made a written request for
access to such information and has executed a written
certification pursuant to subsection (c).
(e) The State Board of Education, by rule, may provide
guidance and a model certification form for custodians of
public records to implement this section.
Section 3. This act shall become effective immediately.
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
SB272 Enrolled
Page 4
Section 3. This act shall become effective immediately.
________________________________________________
President and Presiding Officer of the Senate
________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Representatives
SB272
Senate 19-Feb-26
I hereby certify that the within Act originated in and passed
the Senate, as amended.
Patrick Harris,
Secretary.
House of Representatives
Amended and passed: 08-Apr-26
Senate concurred in House amendment 08-Apr-26
By: Senator Orr
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102