Ten Commandments Display Required in Alabama Public Schools
Summary
Alabama enacted SB99 requiring public schools to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms or common areas. The display requirement is contingent upon availability of private donations to fund the purchase of the materials. The bill passed the Senate with 30-4 votes and the House with 81-10 votes before receiving gubernatorial approval.
What changed
Alabama SB99 was enacted into law on April 13, 2026, mandating that the Ten Commandments be displayed in public school classrooms or common areas. The law specifies that implementation is contingent upon the availability of private donations to cover costs, addressing potential funding concerns.
Affected parties include public school districts, administrators, and school boards in Alabama, who must prepare to implement the display requirement pending donated funding. The bill is likely to face constitutional challenges under the First Amendment Establishment Clause, as similar mandatory religious display laws in other states have been struck down by federal courts. Schools should consult with legal counsel before implementation and monitor for judicial developments.
What to do next
- Public schools must prepare to display Ten Commandments in classrooms or common areas
- Schools should monitor for donated funds to purchase required display materials
- School administrators should consult legal counsel regarding Establishment Clause implications
Archived snapshot
Apr 14, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
ChangeBridge / Alabama / SB99 Enacted SB99 Senate Bill Enacted 2026-04-13
Ten Commandments; required to be displayed in certain public schools, subject to the availability of donations
Bill Details
State Alabama
Session 2026 Regular Session
Chamber Senate
Official Source alison.legislature.state.al.us/bill-search
LegiScan View on LegiScan
Sponsors
Keith Kelley (Sen - R)
Action History
2026-04-13 S Enacted 2026-04-13 S Enacted 2026-04-09 S Delivered to Governor 2026-04-09 H Signature Requested 2026-04-09 S Enrolled 2026-04-09 S Ready to Enroll 2026-04-09 H Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 1347 2026-04-07 H Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar 2026-04-07 H Reported Out of Committee Second House 2026-04-07 H Re-referred to Committee in Second House to House State Government 2026-04-07 H Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar 2026-04-07 H Reported Out of Committee Second House 2026-03-31 H Pending House Education Policy 2026-03-31 H Read for the first time and referred to the House Committee on Education Policy 2026-03-31 S Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 979 2026-03-31 S Petition To Close Debate- Adopted Roll Call 978 2026-03-31 S Third Reading in House of Origin 2026-03-19 S Carried Over to the Call of the Chair 2026-02-12 S Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar 2026-02-11 S Reported Out of Committee House of Origin 2026-01-13 S Pending Senate Education Policy 2026-01-13 S Read for the first time and referred to the Senate Committee on Education Policy
Votes
2026-03-31 SBIR: Passed by House of Origin Yea: 30 Nay: 4 2026-03-31 Third Reading in House of Origin Yea: 30 Nay: 4 2026-03-31 Petition To Close Debate- Roll Call 978 Yea: 27 Nay: 7 2026-03-31 Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Roll Call 979 Yea: 28 Nay: 6 2026-04-09 Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Roll Call 1347 Yea: 81 Nay: 10
Committee Referrals
2026-01-13 S Education Policy 2026-03-31 H Education Policy
Bill Text Versions
2026-01-13 Introduced 2026-04-09 Enrolled
Subjects
Education Legislative data powered by LegiScan (CC BY 4.0)
Named provisions
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