May 15, 2023 Group Watch: Day-by-Day, Play-by-Play

On Tuesday (19th day of regular session): 

• The House passed bills to increase the amount of tax credits that may be provided in a tax year for rehabilitation of historic properties; to authorize optometrists to administer certain vaccinations in certain circumstances and to establish the board as a certifying board under the Alabama Controlled Substances Act; to prohibit Chinese citizens, the Chinese government or Chinese entities from acquiring real property in the state; and to authorize the Board of Medical Examiners to issue permits for certain medical school graduates to practice medicine in a limited capacity for a limited time as a bridge year graduate. 
• The Senate passed several bills of local application only before adjournment.

On Wednesday (a committee day):

• The House Ways and Means General Fund Committee approved bills to provide for the distribution of funding to the Alabama Forestry Commission to support rural economic development; to expand eligibility for educational benefits to spouses of those who were killed while on active state duty or within three years of an injury sustained while on state active duty status; and to revise the circumstances under which the Alabama Medicaid Agency may revise the ceiling for the Medicaid reimbursement rate to nursing facilities during a given fiscal year.
• The Senate Finance and Taxation Education Committee approved bills to establish the Parental Rights in Children’s Education Act relating to K-12 education; to change the terms “failing school” to “priority school” and “qualifying school” and to expand scholarships for eligible students; and to create the School Principal Leadership and Mentoring Act and the Alabama Principal Leadership Development System for K-12 education. 
• The Senate Finance and Taxation General Fund Committee approved bills to revise the compensation received by retired justices and judges who are called to active duty; to temporarily revise the eligibility and compensation for retirees of either system for participating in either system after retirement; and to increase the compensation for an attorney appointed to serve as guardian ad litem in certain juvenile cases. 
• The Senate Judiciary Committee approved bills to make it unlawful for certain individuals to require another individual to be implanted with a microchip; and to prohibit a person from placing certain devices on the property of another person. 
• The Senate Governmental Affairs Committee approved bills to permit PACs to make contributions to political parties in certain circumstances; and to provide for the inspection of certain dams and reservoirs by an engineer and to provide for the Alabama Department of environmental Management to serve as a public repository for dam-related documents. 
• The Senate Education Policy Committee approved bills to change the designation of a failing school to a lowest sixth percent school and the designation of a non-failing school to a highest 94^th percent school and to require the State Board of Education to reflect those changes in terminology when amending or adopting rules; to change the appointment process for the Alabama Public Charter School Commission and to further provide for the commission; and to provide legislative findings and provide a uniform system of procedural due process protections for students facing suspension or expulsion for violating the student code of conduct or state law. 

On Thursday (20^th day of of regular session):

• The House passed bills to provide and adopt the interstate Teacher Mobility Compact to allow licensed teachers to practice among compact states in a limited manner; to create the Students with Unique Needs (SUN) Education Scholarship Act and Program, which allows parents to use funds in an education scholarship account to provide an individualized education program for their children; and to change the appointment process for the Alabama Public Charter School Commission and further provide for the authority and responsibilities of the Commission. 
• The Senate passed bills to establish procedures for requesting and obtaining public records; to establish certain conditions under which a contractor who performs work on a road, bridge, highway or street shall be granted civil immunity; and to establish the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Prevention Act and require the State Board of Education to adopt guidelines and training.      

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