After legislation was tabled in the Alabama House Education Policy Committee to offer public school students the ability to participate in off-campus religious and character instruction during school hours, the issue has re-emerged in the Alabama Senate — with the full support of Lt. Governor Will Ainsworth.
Ainsworth said on Thursday that SB278 by State Sen. Shay Shelnutt (R-Trussville) has his “full, 100%, committed support,” and he called on the Alabama Senate to approve the measure as soon as possible. An initial public hearing was held on the bill on Wednesday.
“If a parent wants their child to receive supervised, off-campus, bible-based character education as an elective, they should certainly have that option, especially in a state like Alabama, where faith, morals, and traditional values reign supreme” Ainsworth said.
“Students are already permitted to leave campus for any number of programs, such as career tech training that hones their skills and builds their talents, so I believe we should also allow them to leave for Bible instruction that hones their faith and builds their character.”
In 2019, Alabama enacted a law permitting local boards of education to offer elective credits for religious instruction attended during the school day. However, adoption of such policies has been limited, with only about a dozen of the state’s over 130 school districts implementing them.
Earlier in the 2025 legislative session, proponents of HB342 by State Rep. Susan DuBose (R-Hoover), argued that this demonstrates a need for a statewide mandate to ensure parental desires for faith-based educational opportunities are met.
DuBose’s bill was rejected by the House Education Policy Committee in a 4-9 vote.
Programs proposed under the legislation would utilize only private dollars, not taxpayer dollars, and no school personnel would be involved in providing the Bible-based education.
They would also assume full liability for students during their excused release time and provide safe and reliable roundtrip transportation. Strict attendance records must be kept and made available to the school.
Over a dozen states have adopted this format and local districts get control to make their own policy and are not required to accept any program that doesn’t fit within the conditions set by the policy — and parents have to sign off on it as well.
According to the bill, no instructional time in core subjects would be lost by those choosing the elective.
“During public hearings held on this bill, no school official or superintendent opposing its passage has offered a single valid argument against it,” Ainsworth said.
“Thousands of students in hundreds of schools across 13 other states already participate in this much-needed, commonsense elective, and Alabama needs to join their ranks now.”
Grayson Everett is the editor in chief of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on X @Grayson270.
