# Alabama HB580: Public institutions of higher education; faculty senates limited to advisory role, tenure policy required, review and dismissal of tenured faculty authorized, governing board authority over courses and curriculum provided Alabama HB580, Public institutions of higher education; faculty senates limited to advisory role, tenure policy required, review and dismissal of tenured faculty authorized, governing board authority over courses and curriculum provided, is a 2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Troy Stubbs (Republican); status enacted, last action 2026-04-13 (Enacted) (as of 2026-10-19). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-HB580-2026rs - As of: 2026-10-19 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Alabama HB580 - State: Alabama - Session: 2026 Regular Session - Title: Public institutions of higher education; faculty senates limited to advisory role, tenure policy required, review and dismissal of tenured faculty authorized, governing board authority over courses and curriculum provided - Status: enacted - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2026-03-05 - Last action: 2026-04-13, Enacted - Sponsor: Troy Stubbs (Republican) - Cosponsors: 0 - Subjects: Education - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 6 (458 yes, 14 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 5 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Faculty senates face new limits: cost, low. Beginning October 1, 2026, only governing boards can create faculty senates at Alabama public colleges and universities. Existing senates are abolished unless created under the law or found compliant with the law and board policies and ratified; authorized but unformed senates must follow the law.… - Tenured faculty dismissal grounds and hearing rights: mixed, medium. Beginning October 1, 2026, Alabama public colleges can dismiss tenured faculty at any time after providing required due process. Grounds include professional incompetence, failure to perform duties or meet review requirements, misconduct, law or school-policy violations, unprofessional conduct, fal… - Tenured faculty face reviews and discipline: mixed, medium. Beginning October 1, 2026, Alabama public college boards must set policies for granting tenure, faculty dismissal, and reviews after tenure. Boards can tailor policies to their school's mission and set stricter rules; earlier review policies can continue only if they meet the law and board policies… - Accreditors face limits over college governance: mixed, low. Beginning October 1, 2026, accrediting groups cannot force Alabama public colleges to violate these governance, tenure, or curriculum rules. They cannot take adverse action based wholly or partly on a school's compliance with the law. Schools cannot use accrediting standards as a reason to break th… - College boards control degree course requirements: mixed, low. Beginning October 1, 2026, governing boards control courses and subjects taught at Alabama public colleges and universities. Courses and curriculum required for a degree must receive board approval. Boards can delegate course approval to a designated university administrator. The law does not set n… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Troy Stubbs (Republican), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-04-09 | Senate | Waggoner Petition to Cease Debate - Adopted Roll Call 1311 | pass | 25 | 7 | | | 2026-04-09 | Senate | Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 1312 | pass | 27 | 7 | | | 2026-03-31 | House | Motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 1056 | pass | 102 | 0 | 1 | | 2026-03-31 | House | Third Reading in House of Origin | pass | 102 | 0 | 1 | | 2026-03-31 | House | Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 1058 | pass | 101 | 0 | | | 2026-03-31 | House | Motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 1057 | pass | 101 | 0 | | ## Actions (26) - 2026-04-13: Enacted (House) - 2026-04-09: Finance and Taxation Education 1st Amendment Offered (Senate) - 2026-04-09: Orr motion to Table - Adopted Voice Vote (Senate) - 2026-04-09: Waggoner Petition to Cease Debate - Adopted Roll Call 1311 (Senate) - 2026-04-09: Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 1312 (Senate) - 2026-04-09: Ready to Enroll (House) - 2026-04-09: Enrolled (House) - 2026-04-09: Signature Requested (Senate) - 2026-04-09: Delivered to Governor (House) - 2026-04-07: Finance and Taxation Education 1st Amendment (Senate) - 2026-04-07: Reported Out of Committee Second House (Senate) - 2026-04-07: Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar (Senate) - 2026-03-31: Third Reading in House of Origin (House) - 2026-03-31: Stubbs 1st Substitute Offered (House) - 2026-03-31: Motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 1056 (House) - 2026-03-31: Bracy 1st Amendment Offered (House) - 2026-03-31: Motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 1057 (House) - 2026-03-31: Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 1058 (House) - 2026-03-31: Engrossed (House) - 2026-03-31: Read for the first time and referred to the Senate Committee on Finance and Taxation Education (Senate) - 2026-03-31: Pending Committee Action in Second House (Senate) - 2026-03-19: Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar (House) - 2026-03-18: Reported Out of Committee House of Origin (House) - 2026-03-10: Re-referred to Committee in House of Origin (House) - 2026-03-05: Read for the first time and referred to the House Committee on Education Policy (House) - 2026-03-05: Pending Committee Action in House of Origin (House) ## Bill text - As Introduced: [PDF](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2026RS/HB580-int.pdf) - Engrossed: [PDF](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2026RS/HB580-eng.pdf) - Enrolled: [PDF](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2026RS/HB580-enr.pdf) ## Related bills - HB67: Voter Information; limit cost of reproducing voter registration list; crime for misuse of personal voter information; created (enacted) - SB154: State employees, cost-of-living increase for fiscal year beginning October 1, 2026 (enacted) - SB165: Elections; municipal elections, to set qualification fee amounts, to require indigent candidates to submit documentation for fee exemption (enacted) - HB317: Firefighter distinctive license plate; fire chaplains included, penalty for violations provided for (enacted) - SB272: Open Records; use of public records relating to schools for certain solicitation purposes prohibited; redaction of certain information relating to financial tr… (enacted) - SB190: Sales Tax; to exempt Precision Ocular (enacted) ## Sources - [As Introduced (PDF)](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2026RS/HB580-int.pdf) - [Engrossed (PDF)](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2026RS/HB580-eng.pdf) - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2026RS/HB580-enr.pdf) ## Related - [HB67: Voter Information; limit cost of reproducing voter registration list; crime for…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-HB67-2026rs) - [SB154: State employees, cost-of-living increase for fiscal year beginning October 1, 2…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-SB154-2026rs) - [SB165: Elections; municipal elections, to set qualification fee amounts, to require in…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-SB165-2026rs) - [HB317: Firefighter distinctive license plate; fire chaplains included, penalty for vio…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-HB317-2026rs) - [SB272: Open Records; use of public records relating to schools for certain solicitatio…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-SB272-2026rs) - [SB190: Sales Tax; to exempt Precision Ocular](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-SB190-2026rs) - [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-HB580-2026rs (as of 2026-10-19).