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SB317 ENROLLED
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SB317
HGM2V83-2
By Senators Orr, Albritton
RFD: Finance and Taxation Education
First Read: 19-Feb-26
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First Read: 19-Feb-26
Enrolled, An Act,
Regarding the Alabama Commission on the Evaluation of
Services; to add Chapter 2B to Title 29, Code of Alabama 1975,
to recreate the commission as a legislative department; to
substantially revise the provisions governing the operation of
the commission; to provide for the appointment of a director;
to revise and clarify duties of the commission; to create the
Legislative Committee on the Evaluation of Services; to repeal
Chapter 2A, Title 29, Code of Alabama 1975, the existing law
governing the commission; and to provide an effective date.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
Section 1. Chapter 2B is added to Title 29, Code of
Alabama 1975, to read as follows:
Chapter 2B. Alabama Commission on the Evaluation of
Services.
§29-2B-1
There is created the Alabama Commission on the
Evaluation of Services, which shall be a legislative
department, for the purpose of advising the Legislature
regarding the evaluation of services funded by the state.
§29-2B-2
(a) The affairs of the commission shall be administered
by the director, whose actions shall be supervised and
controlled by the Legislative Committee on the Evaluation of
Services. The director shall be selected and appointed by the
committee and shall receive compensation and benefits in an
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committee and shall receive compensation and benefits in an
amount established by the committee, payable in the same
manner as is provided for other state employees.
(b) A vacancy in the office of director arising from
any cause shall be filled by the committee. The committee may
appoint a highly qualified person as its director to a
nonmerit, conditional appointment. The director, with the
consent and approval of the committee, shall select and
supervise professional and clerical staff upon a full-time or
part-time basis as necessary to assist the committee and the
director in performing the duties assigned by this chapter.
The director, without regard to the state Merit System Act,
may hire employees as necessary to effectuate the purposes of
this chapter. The number of employees, their compensation, and
other expenditures of the committee shall be within the limits
and in compliance with the appropriation made therefor by the
Legislature and within budgets that shall be approved from
time to time by the commission.
§29-2B-3
(a) There is hereby established the Alabama Commission
on the Evaluation of Services Fund in the State Treasury for
the deposit of all funds received by the commission and which
shall be used for the operations of the commission.
(b) The commission may receive state appropriations and
apply for and receive grant funds from other sources
including, but not limited to, foundations, governmental
entities, federal grants, and businesses. No public monies
shall be expended by the director for any purpose unless the
monies have been appropriated by the Legislature to the
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monies have been appropriated by the Legislature to the
commission. Any monies appropriated shall be budgeted and
allotted pursuant to the Budget Management Act in accordance
with Article 4 of Chapter 4 of Title 41, and only in the
amounts provided by the Legislature in the general
appropriations act or other appropriation acts.
§29-2B-4
(a) The commission shall conduct evaluations of any
agency or programs, services, activities, or functions of any
agency at the direction of the Legislative Committee on the
Evaluation of Services. Evaluations may include oversight and
performance audits or evaluations pursuant to 45 CFR Part 164
E or 39 CFR Part 99 Subpart D.
(b) Any agency, or third party contractor to an agency,
shall furnish to the commission any available material, which
the commission determines to be necessary in the performance
of the duties and functions of the commission.
(c) Any collection of data by an agency, or third party
contractor to an agency, shall be furnished to the commission
upon request by the director or an employee of the commission.
(d) The commission may take application for and award
grant funds to any agency to further the purposes, policies,
recommendations, and objectives of the commission subject to
the availability of funding.
§29-2B-5
For purposes of this chapter, the following terms have
the following meanings:
(1) AGENCY. Any department, board, commission, office,
institution, or other unit of state government that receives
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institution, or other unit of state government that receives
appropriations from the state.
(2) CAUSAL IMPACT EVALUATION. A rigorous evaluation
that uses experimental or quasi-experimental methods to
determine whether a program caused observed outcomes,
isolating the program's effects from other factors.
(3) EVALUATION PLAN. A written document that describes
how an agency will assess a program's implementation, outputs,
and outcomes, including the data sources, indicators, and
methods to be used.
(4) LOGIC MODEL. A visual or narrative representation
that shows the logical relationships between a program's
resources, activities, outputs, and intended outcomes.
(5) MAJOR EXPANSION. An increase in a program's
appropriation of 25 percent or more compared to the prior
fiscal year, or an expansion that significantly changes the
program's target population, service delivery method, or
geographic scope.
(6) NEW PROGRAM. A program that receives an
appropriation for the first time and that is not a
continuation or modification of an existing program under a
different name or organizational structure.
(7) PRELIMINARY STUDY. An evaluation or examination of
a proposed or existing policy or program conducted before or
during legislative consideration, designed to inform
legislative decisions about program design, feasibility, or
resource requirements.
(8) PRIORITY EVALUATION QUESTION. A significant
question about a program's implementation, effectiveness, or
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question about a program's implementation, effectiveness, or
outcomes that an agency or the commission identifies as
warranting systematic evaluation.
§29-2B-6
The Alabama Commission on the Evaluation of Services
shall develop and publish on its website the evaluation
standards used in the performance of evaluations.
§29-2B-7
(a) Each year, within 30 days of the conclusion of the
regular session of the Legislature, or any special session
where an appropriations act is enacted, the Legislative
Services Agency shall identify each new program or major
expansion of an existing program for which an agency received
an appropriation and notify the agency and the Alabama
Commission on the Evaluation of Services of the programs
subject to the provisions of this chapter.
(b) Each agency shall prepare an evaluation plan for
each new program and each major expansion of an existing
program that is enacted in an appropriations act, as follows:
(1) The evaluation plan shall, at a minimum, describe
the program's objectives, target population, key activities,
expected inputs, outputs, intended outcomes, and benchmarks
for intended outcomes. These variables shall be incorporated
into a logic model in the plan.
(2) The evaluation plan shall identify the indicators
the agency will use to track inputs, outputs, and key
outcomes; and for each, describe the data sources and explain
how the measures will be calculated for each indicator.
(3) The evaluation plan shall classify the planned
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(3) The evaluation plan shall classify the planned
level of evaluation (for example, monitoring, outcome
evaluation, or causal impact evaluation) consistent with the
typology in the standards issued under Section 29-2B-6.
(4) For programs meeting criteria established in
guidance under Section 29-2B-6, the evaluation plan shall
include a proposal for a causal impact evaluation or a
justification for why such an evaluation is not feasible or
appropriate.
(5) Evaluation plans shall be submitted to the Alabama
Commission on the Evaluation of Services for approval and
publication on its website, per the standards and guidance
issued under Section 29-2B-6, before data is analyzed.
§29-2B-8
(a) For each program subject to this chapter, the
agency shall prepare and submit evaluation reports to the
Alabama Commission on the Evaluation of Services on a schedule
specified in the standards issued under Section 29-2B-6, which
shall include at a minimum:
(1) A description of the program as implemented,
including any material deviations from the original evaluation
plan;
(2) Results on the agreed-upon input, output, and
outcome indicators, including baseline values and trends over
time;
(3) For programs with a causal impact evaluation, a
summary of the evaluation design, key findings, and
limitations; and
(4) The agency's interpretation of the findings and
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(4) The agency's interpretation of the findings and
planned actions in response (for example, continuation,
expansion, modification, or termination).
(b) The Alabama Commission on the Evaluation of
Services shall publish submitted evaluation reports on its
website.
§29-2B-9
The Legislature, by language in an appropriations act
or other act, may require an evaluation of a specific program
or line item. Such a provision may:
(1) Specify that no more than a stated percentage of
funds may be expended until the agency has submitted an
evaluation plan meeting the standards of this chapter;
(2) Require that an evaluation report be submitted by a
certain date and that continuation, renewal, or expansion of
funding in a subsequent fiscal year shall consider the
findings; or
(3) Identify any additional or different indicators or
evaluation questions that are particularly important for the
program in question.
§29-2B-10
(a) The Legislature, by request of the Joint
Legislative Committee on Finances and Budget or by language in
an appropriations act or other act, may direct the Alabama
Commission on the Evaluation of Services to conduct a
preliminary study of proposed or existing policies or
programs.
(b) Any action directing a preliminary study shall
specify:
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specify:
(1) The policy or program to be examined; and
(2) The questions or issues the study should address.
(c) The Alabama Commission on the Evaluation of
Services shall coordinate with the respective agencies or
entities impacted by the study to:
(1) Confirm the scope and objectives of the study;
(2) Establish a timeline for completion based on study
complexity and available resources;
(3) Identify necessary resources, including estimated
costs and staffing needs; and
(4) Determine the content and format of the final
report.
(d) If the Alabama Commission on the Evaluation of
Services determines that completing a preliminary study as
specified would require resources or time periods that exceed
available capacity of the commission or agency, the commission
may propose to the Legislature modifications to the study
scope, timeline, or resource allocation.
(e) Preliminary studies may examine:
(1) The feasibility of proposed programs or policies;
(2) Estimated costs and potential fiscal impacts;
(3) Experiences with similar programs in other
jurisdictions;
(4) Available data and evidence related to the policy
area;
(5) Evaluation design options if the policy or program
is enacted; or
(6) Expected implementation challenges and resource
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(6) Expected implementation challenges and resource
requirements.
(f) Each preliminary study report shall include:
(1) A description of the policy or program examined;
(2) The study methodology and data sources used;
(3) Key findings addressing the questions specified in
the directing act;
(4) Limitations of the analysis; and
(5) Implications for policy design or implementation,
if applicable.
(g) Upon completion, the Alabama Commission on the
Evaluation of Services shall publish the preliminary study
report on the commission's website and submit the report to
the Senate Finance and Taxation Committees, the House Ways and
Means Committees, the Legislative Committee on the Evaluation
of Services, and the Legislative Fiscal Officer.
§29-2B-11
(a) There is hereby created a continuing legislative
committee to be known as the Legislative Committee on the
Evaluation of Services to exercise general supervision and
control over the actions of the Alabama Commission on the
Evaluation of Services.
(b) The committee shall be led by the Chair of the
Senate Finance and Taxation General Fund Committee, the Chair
of the House Ways and Means General Fund Committee, the Chair
of the Senate Finance and Taxation Education Committee, and
the Chair of the House Ways and Means Education Committee who
shall alternate as the chair of the committee each year.
(c) The Alabama Legislative Committee on the Evaluation
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(c) The Alabama Legislative Committee on the Evaluation
of Services shall have 12 members. The membership of the
committee shall include the following:
(1) The Chair and Vice-chair of the Senate Finance and
Taxation Education Committee.
(2) The Chair and Vice-chair of the Senate Finance and
Taxation General Fund Committee.
(3) The Chair and Vice-chair of the House Ways and
Means Education Committee.
(4) The Chair and Vice-chair of the House Ways and
Means General Fund Committee.
(5) One member of the Senate, appointed by the
President Pro Tempore of the Senate.
(6) One member of the House of Representatives,
appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
(7) One member of the Senate, appointed by the Minority
Leader of the Senate.
(8) One member of the House of Representatives,
appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of
Representatives.
(d) The committee shall meet at the call of the chair
or any two members, provided that the committee shall meet at
least once every six months. A majority of the members of the
committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of
business at meetings. Members of the committee shall be
entitled to their regular legislative compensation, per diem,
and travel expenses each day they attend a meeting of the
commission in accordance with Section 49 of the Constitution
of Alabama of 2022. These payments shall be paid out of any
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of Alabama of 2022. These payments shall be paid out of any
funds appropriated for the use of the Legislature by means of
warrants drawn by the Comptroller on the State Treasury.
(e) Members of the committee may participate in a
meeting of the committee by means of telephone conference,
video conference, or similar communications equipment by means
of which all persons participating in the meeting may hear
each other at the same time. Participation by such means shall
constitute presence in person at a meeting for all purposes.
Section 2. (a) Chapter 2A of Title 29, Code of Alabama
1975, related to the Alabama Commission on the Evaluation of
Services, is repealed.
(b) Any reference in any law to the Alabama Commission
on the Evaluation of Services under Chapter 2A of Title 29,
Code of Alabama 1975, shall be deemed a reference to the
Alabama Commission on the Evaluation of Services created by
Section 1.
(c) The Alabama Commission on the Evaluation of
Services created by Section 1 shall be deemed a successor to
the Alabama Commission on the Evaluation of Services under
Chapter 2A of Title 29, Code of Alabama 1975 for all
contracts, agreements, and memorandums of understanding.
(d) On October 1, 2026, all papers, books, materials,
furnishings, funds, personnel, and property of the Alabama
Commission on the Evaluation of Services under Chapter 2A of
Title 29, Code of Alabama 1975 shall be transferred to the
Alabama Commission on the Evaluation of Services created by
Section 1.
Section 3. This act shall become effective on October
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Section 3. This act shall become effective on October
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1, 2026.
________________________________________________
President and Presiding Officer of the Senate
________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Representatives
SB317
Senate 26-Feb-26
I hereby certify that the within Act originated in and passed
the Senate.
Patrick Harris,
Secretary.
House of Representatives
Amended and passed: 01-Apr-26
Senate concurred in House amendment 07-Apr-26
By: Senator Orr
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