SB 166 Alabama Senate · 2025 Regular Session

Ten Commandments, required to be displayed in common area of public K-12 schools and public institutions of higher education

Senate Bill 166 requires all public K-12 schools and public institutions of higher education to display the Ten Commandments in a common area, such as an entryway or library, by January 1, 2026. The bill specifies the exact text of the Ten Commandments to be used, along with a required context statement about their historical significance in American public education. Schools are not mandated to use their own funds for the display and may accept donations, with the State Department of Education tasked to publicize free resources. This legislation directly affects public educational institutions and their students across the state.
Bill status died 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2025
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Feb 12, 2025 Last action May 6, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced Education Policy 1st Substitute · 5 edits
MODERATE
The bill was amended from its original version to expand the display requirement to include excerpts from foundational historical documents alongside the Ten Commandments, while removing references to higher education institutions and the State Board of Education's rule-making authority. The changes also updated the legislative findings to reflect a broader historical context and removed specific court case citations.
Scope change
The bill's scope was narrowed by removing the requirement for public institutions of higher education to comply with display requirements, and the State Board of Education's rule-making authority was changed from required to authorized.
REQUIREMENT

Expanded display requirements to include excerpts from foundational historical documents like the Declaration of Independence and Constitution, not just the Ten Commandments.

Removed the requirement for public institutions of higher education to display the Ten Commandments and context statements.

Changed State Board of Education rule-making from required to authorized, giving the board discretion rather than mandating rule creation.

DEFINITION

Updated legislative findings to include broader historical context about religious references in American founding documents and removed specific Supreme Court case citations.

FISCAL

Maintained the provision that local boards are not required to use public funds for compliance and may accept donations, but removed the State Board of Education's role in publicizing resources.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
6
Key actions
2
Committee
2
Apr 9, 2025
Upper · Passed
Reported Out of Committee House of Origin
upper
Feb 12, 2025
Upper · Passed
Pending Committee Action in House of Origin (Education Policy)
upper
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Keith Kelley
Keith Kelley
RRepublican
AL
12