What You Should Know About Alabama’s Legislative Process

Alabama’s Legislative Session typically begins on the second Tuesday in February. Every four years, Session begins on the second Tuesday in January to allow for legislators enough time to return back to their counties prior to election season – These years include 2026, 2030, 2034, and so on. Education policy is always a huge priority. Here’s what you need to know about the Legislature’s process for passing the education budget and other education legislation in Alabama during Session:

How Does Legislation Pass? Overview of the Legislative Process

Once the Regular Legislative Session begins, each body (the House and the Senate) can only meet in full for 30 legislative days within 105 calendar days. During regular session days, typically Tuesdays and Thursdays, legislators all come together and “gavel in” and can introduce, debate, and pass bills on any topic they choose. In addition to regular session days, legislators will meet in smaller committees on bills that have been introduced for debate, hearings, and public comments. Committee days do not have to be Regular Session days, but they can be. Typically, committee meetings are on Wednesdays. 

Legislators can introduce, consider, and pass bills on any topic they choose. While the Legislature will consider and pass numerous bills during the session, there are only two things the Legislature is constitutionally required to do: pass the Education Trust Fund (ETF) budget and pass the General Fund Budget.

An Overview of the Legislative Process:

The Senate has a total of 35 members. Just like in the House, there are specific committees for specific topics. Here are the important people and committees to know:

  1. A legislator in either the House or the Senate files a bill, which is assigned a number (e.g. House Bill “HB” 10). Let’s assume the bill begins in the House of Representatives. 
  2. A bill receives a “first reading” in the House and is assigned to a House committee.
  3. In the House committee, the chairperson can decide which bills to put on the agenda and when they will be discussed. Committee members, other legislators, and members of the public can request a hearing on a bill. Once a bill has been heard and debated, committee members will vote. Bills that get a “favorable report” are moved to the full House for a second reading. Bills that get an “unfavorable report” die in committee and do not go back to the full House.
  4. Next, the full House has an opportunity to read and debate the bill. If the full House deliberates and votes in favor of the bill, it moves to the Senate.
  5. Once a bill moves to the Senate, it repeats the process and moves through the full Senate, a Senate committee, and is voted on by the full Senate again.
    1. If the Senate didn’t make any changes to the House version of the bill, it goes to the Governor for signing. 
    2. If the Senate did make changes, the bill will go back to the House for another vote. The Senate and House may send some members from each to a conference committee to work out the differences. Once the House and Senate both accept the newest version, the bill goes to the Governor for signing. 
  7. If the Governor signs the bill, it becomes law in Alabama. If the Governor vetoes the bill, it goes back to the Legislature where a simple majority vote of both houses will override the veto, making the bill a law. The Governor also has the opportunity to propose an executive amendment to make changes to the legislation, which the Legislature can either adopt or reject.

How is Legislation Prevented From Passing?

If that doesn’t seem complicated enough, there are a number of ways that a bill can be prevented from making it through the process. In 2025, 968 bills were introduced but only 310 bills became laws. Usually, between 60% to 80% of bills that are introduced do not pass. Some ways that bills are prevented from becoming laws, or “die”, include:

  • Committee chairs have full discretion over what bills are on their committee agendas. If they choose not to place a bill on the agenda, it can never be voted on by the committee. 
  • Once a bill is discussed in committee, the committee can vote unfavorably, which would prevent the bill from moving on. 
  • The Rules committee is in charge of what bills make it to the House or Senate floor to be voted on by the full chamber. If they choose not to place a bill on the agenda, known as the Special Order Calendar, then it doesn’t get voted on either.
  • Once a vote is called for, the full House or Senate can vote against the bill.
  • If the legislative session ends before a bill has moved through the full process, it does not pass and must start the process over the following year.

What To Know About the Alabama House of Representatives

The Alabama House of Representatives has a total of 105 members. There are 24 committees in the House that are designated to address legislation in different topic areas – such as education policy and the education budget. Here are the important positions and committees to know:

  • Speaker of the House – This leader manages the legislative process, controls the flow of bills and activity, appoints committee members, and is the spokesperson for the majority party. They have significant influence over the legislative agenda.  
  • Majority Leader – This is the leader of the majority party, currently Republicans. They work with the Speaker to set the legislative agenda, schedule bills, guide the party’s strategy, maintain collaboration, and mobilize individual members of the party to vote. 
  • Minority Leader – This is the leader of the minority party, currently Democrats. They serve as the spokesperson for the minority party by leading debates on the floor, negotiating with the majority leaders, and developing the minority’s legislative agenda. They mobilize individual members of the party to advance their policy agenda despite fewer numbers. 
  • House Ways and Means Education Committee – This committee is responsible for finance and budget bills that relate to education through the Education Trust Fund Budget, and other funds. The chairman of this committee determines what bills the committee hears, debates, and votes on. 
  • House Education Policy Committee – This committee is responsible for all education legislation that does not involve funding. This could include support for students, curriculum, and extracurricular policy considerations. The chairman of this committee determines what bills the committee hears, debates, and votes on.
  • Rules Committee – This committee determines which bill comes to the floor to be voted on by the full House of Representatives. The chairman of this committee has significant influence over what legislation moves through the process.

What to Know About the Alabama Senate

The Alabama Senate has a total of 35 members. There are 21 committees in the Senate that are designated to address legislation in different topic areas – such as education policy and the education budget. Here are the important positions and committees to know:

  • Lieutenant Governor – This leader is the President of the Senate. They preside over sessions, cast tie-breaking votes, appoint committee members, determine which committee each bill goes to for consideration, and is first in succession to the Governor. They have significant influence over the legislative agenda. 
  • President Pro Tempore (“Pro Tem”) – This leader presides over sessions when the Lieutenant Governor isn’t present, taking up their responsibilities listed above. They handle routine administrative duties, scheduling session meetings and appointments, and manage legislative priorities.
  • Majority Leader – This is the leader of the majority party, currently Republicans. They work with the Lieutenant Governor and Pro Tem to set the legislative agenda, schedule bills, guide the party’s strategy, maintain collaboration, and mobilize individual members of the party to vote. 
  • Minority Leader – This is the leader of the minority party, currently Democrats. They serve as the spokesperson for the minority party by leading debates on the floor, negotiating with the majority leaders, and developing the minority’s legislative agenda. They mobilize individual members of the party to advance their policy agenda despite fewer numbers. 
  • Senate Committee on Finance and Taxation – This committee is responsible for finance and budget bills that relate to education through the Education Trust Fund Budget, and other funds. The chairman of this committee determines what bills the committee hears, debates, and votes on. 
  • Senate Education Policy Committee – This committee is responsible for all education legislation that does not involve funding. This could include supports for students, curriculum, and extra curricular policy considerations. The chairman of this committee determines what bills the committee hears, debates, and votes on.
  • Rules Committee – This committee determines which bill comes to the floor to be voted on by the full Senate. The chairman of this committee has significant influence over what legislation moves through the process.

How To Keep Up

A+ will be keeping you up to date throughout Session with everything you need to know regarding bills and budgets moving through the Legislature. To stay connected, sign up for the Gist and follow the Budget Watch!

Back to Posts