HB188 Summary

• State Board of Education must adopt rules in consultation with Alabama Department of Public Health for COVID-19 safety protocols in public K-12 schools that do not require mask-wearing by students or restrict parental health care decision-making authority.

• Rules must maintain constitutional freedoms of Alabamians, retain parents' ability to decide whether children wear masks in schools, and protect children with disabilities or health conditions that would be harmed by masking requirements.

• Parents retain the right to voluntarily require their children to wear masks in public K-12 schools.

• Schools or school boards that adopt mask mandate policies in violation of the adopted rules face a 5 percent reduction in Foundation Program Fund allotment in the succeeding fiscal year, with reductions applied only to violating schools.

• Act becomes effective on the first day of the third month following passage and approval by the Governor.