Campus chaplains; public K-12 schools authorized to accept as volunteers, local boards of education and governing bodies authorized to vote on whether to allow, limitations provided

SB 305 allows Alabama public K-12 schools and charter schools to accept volunteer campus chaplains, but only if local school boards or charter governing bodies vote to permit it. To serve, chaplains must complete a recognized training program, pass a criminal background check, and cannot have been convicted of a sex offense requiring registration. Chaplains would provide services at the request of teachers, not as a school mandate. The law takes effect July 1, 2026, and does not require state certification for chaplains.