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Straight-ahead summaries built from the official bill text. We keep the source links front and center and leave the decision up to you.

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SB305 • 2026

Campus chaplains; public K-12 schools authorized to accept as volunteers, local boards of education and governing bodies authorized to vote on whether to allow, limitations provided

Campus chaplains; public K-12 schools authorized to accept as volunteers, local boards of education and governing bodies authorized to vote on whether to allow, limitations provided

Education
Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
Smitherman
Last action
2026-02-26
Official status
Pending Committee Action in Second House
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and text do not specify what kind of training programs are recognized or the exact nature of the services provided by volunteer chaplains.

Volunteer Campus Chaplains in Public K-12 Schools

This bill allows local school boards and charter schools to decide if they want volunteer chaplains at their schools, with rules about training and background checks.

What This Bill Does

  • Allows each local board of education and the governing body of public charter schools to vote on whether to accept a campus chaplain as a volunteer starting from the 2026-2027 school year.
  • Requires that any volunteer chaplain must complete a recognized training program before volunteering.
  • Requires background checks for all volunteer chaplains before they can start working at schools.
  • Prohibits individuals who have been convicted of sex offenses from volunteering as campus chaplains.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Local boards of education
  • Governing bodies of public charter schools
  • Volunteer chaplains
  • Public K-12 schools

Terms To Know

Campus Chaplain
A volunteer who provides spiritual support and services in a school setting.
Recognized Training Program
An approved program that trains individuals to serve as chaplains.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what kind of training programs are recognized.
  • It is unclear how schools will implement the background check requirements.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-26 House

    Pending Committee Action in Second House

  2. 2026-02-26 House

    Read for the first time and referred to the House Committee on Education Policy

  3. 2026-02-25 Senate

    Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 622 (Yeas 34, Nays 0)

  4. 2026-02-25 Senate

    Third Reading in House of Origin (Yeas 34, Nays 0)

  5. 2026-02-19 Senate

    Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar

  6. 2026-02-18 Senate

    Reported Out of Committee House of Origin

  7. 2026-02-12 Senate

    Pending Committee Action in House of Origin

  8. 2026-02-12 Senate

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

Official Summary Text

Campus chaplains; public K-12 schools authorized to accept as volunteers, local boards of education and governing bodies authorized to vote on whether to allow, limitations provided

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SB305 INTRODUCED
Page 0
SB305
4UCAN3R-1
By Senators Smitherman, Coleman-Madison, Coleman
RFD: Education Policy
First Read: 12-Feb-26
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4UCAN3R-1 02/11/2026 GP (L)lg 2026-845
Page 1
First Read: 12-Feb-26
SYNOPSIS:
This bill would authorize each local board of
education and the governing body of each public charter
school to vote on whether to allow schools in their
jurisdiction to accept a campus chaplain as a volunteer
and, if the vote is in the affirmative, would allow
volunteer chaplains to be made available to provide
services at the request of a teacher.
This bill would require a volunteer campus
chaplain to complete a recognized chaplain training
program and undergo a criminal history background
information check before being accepted as a volunteer.
This bill would also prohibit any individual who
has been adjudicated or convicted of an offense that
requires registration as a sex offender from
volunteering as a campus chaplain.
A BILL
TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
Relating to public K-12 education; to allow a public
K-12 school or public charter school to accept a campus
chaplain who meets certain requirements as a volunteer; to
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SB305 INTRODUCED
Page 2
chaplain who meets certain requirements as a volunteer; to
prohibit certain individuals from volunteering as a campus
chaplain; and to allow each local board of education and the
governing body of each public charter school to vote on
whether to allow the volunteer services of a campus chaplain.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
Section 1. (a) For the purposes of this section, the
term "public school" means any public K-12 school or public
charter school.
(b)(1) Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, each
local board of education and the governing body of each public
charter school may take a recorded vote on whether to adopt a
policy authorizing a public school under its jurisdiction to
accept a campus chaplain as a volunteer under this section.
(2) If a local board of education or the governing body
of a public charter school votes to accept a campus chaplain
as a volunteer, a campus chaplain may be made available to
provide support, services, and programs at the request of any
teacher in the local school district.
(c)(1) A campus chaplain volunteering under this
section is not required to be certified by the State Board of
Education.
(2) Each campus chaplain volunteering under this
section must have completed a recognized chaplain training
program.
(d) A public school that accepts a campus chaplain as a
volunteer under this section, before the campus chaplain may
begin volunteering, shall ensure that the campus chaplain
complies with Section 16-22A-5, Code of Alabama 1975, relating
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SB305 INTRODUCED
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complies with Section 16-22A-5, Code of Alabama 1975, relating
to criminal history background information check requirements.
(e) A public school may not accept a campus chaplain as
a volunteer who has been adjudicated or convicted of an
offense that requires registration as a sex offender under
Chapter 20A of Title 15, Code of Alabama 1975.
Section 2. This act shall become effective on July 1,
2026.
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