The Alabama House passed HB152 on Thursday, repealing the 1965 legislative mandate requiring the University of Alabama to maintain a standalone School of Social Work.

The bill, sponsored by State Rep. Danny Garrett (R-Trussville), passed 76-14 and now heads to the Senate.

Under current law, UA is the only institution in Alabama required by statute to maintain a separately structured school of social work. The bill removes that mandate, allowing the university to restructure the program as it sees fit.

Garrett said UA supports the change as part of its response to outcome-based funding models. The School of Social Work currently has 647 total students — 329 undergraduates and 318 graduate students — among the lowest enrollment of any school at UA.

“All this bill does is repeal the mandate,” Garrett said, affirming the legislation would not dismantle the program, but rather, give UA flexibility to improve it. “I’ve gotten no indication that they want to diminish the program.”

Democrats raised concerns during extended floor debate, questioning why the Legislature originally created the mandate, and whether removing it could weaken the program.

However, Garrett made it clear that the current structure simply creates bureaucratic challenges and that removing the mandate “helps them meet the job demands of the state.”

The school was established in 1965 by an act of the Alabama Legislature to address the state’s critical shortage of professionally trained social workers. Prior to 1965, fewer than 100 trained social workers served the entire state, and 48 of Alabama’s 67 counties had none.

Because the school was created by legislative mandate, UA cannot restructure or reorganize the program without legislative action to remove that requirement.

Thursday was day eight of the 2026 legislative session.

Sawyer Knowles is a capitol reporter for Yellowhammer News. You may contact him at [email protected].