SB364 • 2026

Public K-12 education; violence prevention, conflict resolution, and mediation instruction required before graduation from high school beginning in sixth grade, State Board of Education required to adopt standards

Education

Enacted

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

Sponsor: Smitherman
Last action: 2026-04-17
Official status: Enacted
Effective date: 2026-10-01

Plain English Breakdown

The bill text does not explicitly state that each school district can decide on its own curriculum, but it implies local boards will determine appropriate curricula.

Violence Prevention and Conflict Resolution in Schools

This law requires Alabama public schools to teach students from sixth grade through high school about preventing violence, resolving conflicts without fighting, and using mediation before they graduate.

What This Bill Does

Requires all public school students in grades six through twelve to complete a course on violence prevention, conflict resolution, and mediation before graduating from high school starting with the 2027-2028 school year.
Includes topics such as responsible decision-making, understanding causes of school violence, nonviolent methods for resolving conflicts, consequences of violent behavior, and the relationship between drugs, alcohol, and violence in the course.
Requires the State Department of Education to prepare guidelines for local schools to use when creating their own courses by June 30, 2027.

Who It Names or Affects

All public schools in Alabama
Students from sixth grade through high school

Terms To Know

Conflict Resolution: Finding ways to solve problems without fighting or arguing.
Mediation: Helping people who disagree find a solution they can both agree on.

Limits and Unknowns

The law does not specify how schools should teach the required topics.
It is unclear what specific resources or training will be provided to teachers for this new requirement.

Bill History

2026-04-17 Senate
Enacted
2026-04-09 House
Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 1354 (Yeas 95, Nays 1)
2026-04-09 Senate
Delivered to Governor
2026-04-09 House
Signature Requested
2026-04-09 Senate
Enrolled
2026-04-09 Senate
Ready to Enroll
2026-04-08 House
Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar
2026-04-08 House
Reported Out of Committee Second House
2026-04-01 Senate
Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 1055 (Yeas 34, Nays 0)
2026-04-01 Senate
Third Reading in House of Origin (Yeas 34, Nays 0)
2026-04-01 House
Pending Committee Action in Second House
2026-04-01 House
Read for the first time and referred to the House Committee on Education Policy
2026-03-17 Senate
Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar
2026-03-17 Senate
Reported Out of Committee House of Origin
2026-03-11 Senate
Pending Committee Action in House of Origin
2026-03-11 Senate
Read for the first time and referred to the Senate Committee on Education Policy

Official Summary Text

This act adds Section 16-40-13 to the Code of Alabama 1975 to: (1) beginning with the 2027-2028 school year, require public school students in grades 6 through 12 to complete a course in violence prevention, conflict resolution, and mediation, including specified topics, before graduating from high school; and (2) require the State Department of Education, before June 30, 2027, to prepare and make available instructional material guidelines for use by local boards of education in developing and determining the curriculum for satisfying the course.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SB364 ENROLLED
Page 0
SB364
3PS1TZZ-2
By Senator Smitherman
RFD: Education Policy
First Read: 11-Mar-26
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SB364 Enrolled
Page 1
First Read: 11-Mar-26
Enrolled, An Act,
Relating to public education; to require instruction in
violence prevention, conflict resolution, and mediation before
graduation from high school; and to require the State
Department of Education to develop standards for a course or
program encompassing that instruction.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
Section 1. Section 16-40-13 is added to the Code of
Alabama 1975, to read as follows:
§16-40-13
(a) Beginning with the 2027-2028 school year, each
public school student shall complete a course or program in
violence prevention, conflict resolution, and mediation before
graduation from high school. The instruction shall be provided
to students in grades six through twelve and shall include a
discussion of or instruction in all of the following:
(1) Responsible decision-making.
(2) The causes and effects of school violence and
harassment, cultural diversity, and nonviolent methods for
resolving conflict, including peer mediation.
(3) The consequences of violent behavior.
(4) The causes of violent reactions to conflict.
(5) Nonviolent conflict resolution techniques.
(6) The relationship between drugs, alcohol, and
violence.
(7) The implementation of voluntary peer mediation
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SB364 Enrolled
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(7) The implementation of voluntary peer mediation
programs and the integration of conflict resolution models in
classrooms.
(b) Before June 30, 2027, the State Department of
Education shall prepare and make available to all local boards
of education instructional materials, models, and curricula
that may be used as guidelines for development of a violence
prevention, conflict resolution, and mediation course or
program. Each local board of education shall determine the
appropriate curriculum for satisfying the requirements of this
section. The State Department of Education shall assist in
training teachers to provide effective instruction in violence
prevention, conflict resolution, and mediation.
(c) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules as
necessary to implement this section.
Section 2. This act shall become effective on October
1, 2026.
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SB364 Enrolled
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1, 2026.
________________________________________________
President and Presiding Officer of the Senate
________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Representatives
SB364
Senate 01-Apr-26
I hereby certify that the within Act originated in and passed
the Senate.
Patrick Harris,
Secretary.
House of Representatives
Passed: 09-Apr-26
By: Senator Smitherman
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