# Alabama HB266: Restoring Educational Advancement of Completing High School (REACH) Act, providing for a nontraditional high school diploma option for students 17 years of age and older who withdraw from school through the Adult Education Division of the Alabama Community College System; to provide for the sharing of data on students who drop out of high school; and to provide that participating students are eligible for driver's licenses Alabama HB266, Restoring Educational Advancement of Completing High School (REACH) Act, providing for a nontraditional high school diploma option for students 17 years of age and older who withdraw from school through the Adult Education Division of the Alabama Community College System; to provide for the sharing of data on students who drop out of high school; and to provide that participating students are eligible for driver's licenses, is a 2025 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Matt Woods (Republican); status enacted, last action 2025-05-14 (Enacted); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-16). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-HB266-2025rs - As of: 2026-10-16 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Alabama HB266 - State: Alabama - Session: 2025 Regular Session - Title: Restoring Educational Advancement of Completing High School (REACH) Act, providing for a nontraditional high school diploma option for students 17 years of age and older who withdraw from school through the Adult Education Division of the Alabama Community College System; to provide for the sharing of data on students who drop out of high school; and to provide that participating students are eligible for driver's licenses - Status: enacted - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-02-12 - Last action: 2025-05-14, Enacted - Sponsor: Matt Woods (Republican) - Cosponsors: 30 - Subjects: Education - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 5 (444 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 3 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Diploma students gain a license route: benefit, medium. Beginning June 1, 2025, applicants under age 19 gain another route to an Alabama driver's or learner's license. They can document enrollment and satisfactory progress in the nontraditional high school diploma program. This adds an alternative to the existing GED route. Other licensing requirements… - New diploma path for school leavers: benefit, medium. Beginning June 1, 2025, Alabama offers a diploma path for people age 17 or older who left high school before graduating. The Alabama Community College System runs the program with state education officials, using coursework aligned with public high school diploma requirements. Graduates can seek ad… - School leavers get records and referrals: benefit, low. Beginning June 1, 2025, Alabama public school students age 17 or older can withdraw before graduating with written parent or guardian consent. The required exit interview must take place and include warnings and information about leaving school. Schools must explain adult education services, GED pr… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Matt Woods (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Anthony Daniels (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Arnold Mooney (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Barbara Drummond (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Bill Lamb (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Bryan Brinyark (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Chad Robertson (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Chip Brown (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Craig Lipscomb (Republican), House - Cosponsor: David Faulkner (Republican), House - Cosponsor: David Standridge (Republican), House - Cosponsor: James Lomax (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Jerry Starnes (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Kerry (Bubba) Underwood (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Leigh Hulsey (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Mark Shirey (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Matthew Hammett (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Member 110857 - Cosponsor: Mike Kirkland (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Mike Shaw (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Patrick Sellers (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Phillip Pettus (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Phillip Rigsby (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Rick Rehm (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Ron Bolton (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Scott Stadthagen (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Susan DuBose (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Tim Wadsworth (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Tracy Estes (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Troy Stubbs (Republican), House - Cosponsor: William Brock Colvin (Republican), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-05-06 | Senate | Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 957 | pass | 34 | 0 | | | 2025-02-25 | House | Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 236 | pass | 103 | 0 | | | 2025-02-25 | House | Motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 234 | pass | 102 | 0 | | | 2025-02-25 | House | Motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 235 | pass | 103 | 0 | | | 2025-02-25 | House | Third Reading in House of Origin | pass | 102 | 0 | | ## Actions (22) - 2025-05-14: Enacted (House) - 2025-05-06: Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 957 (Senate) - 2025-05-06: Ready to Enroll (House) - 2025-05-06: Enrolled (House) - 2025-05-06: Signature Requested (Senate) - 2025-05-06: Delivered to Governor (House) - 2025-03-05: Reported Out of Committee Second House (Senate) - 2025-03-05: Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar (Senate) - 2025-02-27: Read for the first time and referred to the Senate Committee on Education Policy (Senate) - 2025-02-27: Pending Committee Action in Second House (Senate) - 2025-02-25: Third Reading in House of Origin (House) - 2025-02-25: Education Policy Engrossed Substitute Offered (House) - 2025-02-25: Motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 234 (House) - 2025-02-25: Smith 1st Amendment Offered (House) - 2025-02-25: Motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 235 (House) - 2025-02-25: Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 236 (House) - 2025-02-25: Engrossed (House) - 2025-02-20: Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar (House) - 2025-02-19: Education Policy 1st Amendment (House) - 2025-02-19: Reported Out of Committee House of Origin (House) - 2025-02-12: Read for the first time and referred to the House Committee on Education Policy (House) - 2025-02-12: Pending Committee Action in House of Origin (House) ## Bill text - As Introduced: [PDF](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2025RS/HB266-int.pdf) - Engrossed: [PDF](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2025RS/HB266-eng.pdf) - Enrolled: [PDF](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2025RS/HB266-enr.pdf) ## Related bills - HB52: Income Taxes; to make technical changes to the funding provisions of the CHOOSE Act credits and increase funding, and to extend the sunset date for deductions… (enacted) - SB331: Barbour County, compensation of the judge of probate further provided for (enacted) - SB102: Medicaid; providing presumptive eligibility to pregnant women (enacted) - HB445: Cannabinoids found in hemp; licensure and regulation of sale of consumable cannabinoid products by Alcoholic Beverage Control Board imposed (enacted) - HB357: Tobacco products, heated tobacco product definition and tax provided for (enacted) - HB349: Russell County; sheriff, salary further provided (enacted) ## Sources - [As Introduced (PDF)](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2025RS/HB266-int.pdf) - [Engrossed (PDF)](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2025RS/HB266-eng.pdf) - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2025RS/HB266-enr.pdf) ## Related - [HB52: Income Taxes; to make technical changes to the funding provisions of the CHOOSE…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-HB52-2025rs) - [SB331: Barbour County, compensation of the judge of probate further provided for](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-SB331-2025rs) - [SB102: Medicaid; providing presumptive eligibility to pregnant women](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-SB102-2025rs) - [HB445: Cannabinoids found in hemp; licensure and regulation of sale of consumable cann…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-HB445-2025rs) - [HB357: Tobacco products, heated tobacco product definition and tax provided for](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-HB357-2025rs) - [HB349: Russell County; sheriff, salary further provided](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-HB349-2025rs) - [Alabama bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/alabama/bills) - [Alabama state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/alabama) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-HB266-2025rs (as of 2026-10-16).