HB 9 Alabama House · 2025 Regular Session

Three cueing system prohibited in public K-12 education

HB 9 prohibits Alabama public K-12 schools from using the "three-cueing system" (teaching reading through meaning, structure/syntax, and visual cues) in foundational reading instruction. It requires all reading materials to instead use structured literacy approaches focused on phonics, decoding, and systematic phonemic awareness. The law applies to all K-12 textbooks, instructional materials, and educator preparation programs, banning visual memory strategies for word recognition. Effective June 1, 2025, schools must use evidence-based methods proven to improve reading skills, while still allowing visual context for vocabulary and comprehension.

Issues: ✗ Education

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jul 2024

Committee Review

Feb 2025

House Passage

Feb 2025

Senate Passage

Governor

Introduced Jul 8, 2024 Last action Feb 27, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced → Engrossed · 4 edits · Feb 18, 2025

MODERATE

The bill was amended from 'Introduced' to 'Engrossed' status, making substantive changes to the effective date of enforcement and expanding notification requirements for violations. The most significant change is that the enforcement deadline for local school boards was moved from the 2024-2025 school year to the 2025-2026 school year, giving districts one additional year to comply with the new reading instruction requirements.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains the same - it still prohibits the three-cueing system in K-12 reading instruction - but the timeline for enforcement was extended by one year.

TIMELINE

The deadline for local school boards to comply with the three-cueing prohibition was changed from the 2024-2025 school year to the 2025-2026 school year, providing an additional year for implementation.

ENFORCEMENT

Notification of violations by the State Board of Education must now include the public in addition to the local board and Legislature, increasing transparency about non-compliance.

REQUIREMENT

Educator preparation programs must now include multisensory strategies in their approved reading instruction requirements, and visual memory is explicitly prohibited as a substitute for decoding instruction.

Public schools must now ensure instructional materials demonstrate proven results in teaching specific literacy skills including phonological awareness, letter formation, and phonics.

Floor votes

How they voted

This bill passed the House by voice vote (no roll call recorded).

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Feb 26, 2025

Upper · Passed

Reported Out of Committee Second House

upper

Feb 18, 2025

Upper · Passed

Pending Committee Action in Second House (Education Policy)

upper

Feb 18, 2025

Lower · Passed

Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 172

lower

Feb 18, 2025

Lower · Passed

Motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 171

lower

Feb 18, 2025

Introduced

Education Policy Engrossed Substitute Offered (Education Policy)

lower

Feb 12, 2025

Lower · Passed

Reported Out of Committee House of Origin (Education Policy)

lower

Feb 12, 2025

Introduced

Education Policy 1st Amendment (Education Policy)

lower

Feb 4, 2025

Lower · Passed

Pending Committee Action in House of Origin (Education Policy)

lower

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors