Alabama SB364: Public K-12 education; violence prevention, conflict resolution, and mediation instruction required before graduation from high school beginning in sixth grade, State Board of Education required to adopt standards

What the bill says

An Act, Relating to public education; to require instruction in violence prevention, conflict resolution, and mediation before graduation from high school; and to require the State Department of Education to develop standards for a course or program encompassing that instruction.

From the enrolled text:

An Act, Relating to public education; to require instruction in violence prevention, conflict resolution, and mediation before graduation from high school; and to require the State Department of Education to develop standards for a course or program encompassing that instruction. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA: Section 1. Section 16-40-13 is added to the Code of Alabama 1975, to read as follows: §16-40-13 (a) Beginning with the 2027-2028 school year, each public school student shall complete a course or program in violence prevention, conflict resolution, and mediation before graduation from high school. The instruction shall be provided to students in grades six through twelve and shall include a discussion of or instruction in all of the following: (1) Responsible decision-making. (2) The causes and effects of school violence and harassment, cultural diversity, and nonviolent methods for resolving conflict, including peer mediation. (3) The consequences of violent behavior. (4) The causes of violent reactions to conflict. (5) Nonviolent conflict resolution techniques. (6) The relationship between drugs, alcohol, and violence. (7) The implementation of voluntary peer mediation Page (7) The implementation of voluntary peer mediation SB364 Enrolled programs and the integration of conflict resolution models in classrooms. (b) Before June 30, 2027, the State Department of Education shall prepare and make available to all local boards of education instructional materials, …

Read the full official text

Sponsors

• Smitherman, Rodger M. (D, SD-018) · primary sponsor

Latest actions

1. April 17, 2026: Enacted
2. April 9, 2026: Delivered to Governor
3. April 9, 2026: Signature Requested
4. April 9, 2026: Enrolled
5. April 9, 2026: Ready to Enroll
6. April 9, 2026: Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 1354
7. April 8, 2026: Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar
8. April 8, 2026: Reported Out of Committee Second House
9. April 1, 2026: Pending Committee Action in Second House
10. April 1, 2026: Read for the first time and referred to the House Committee on Education Policy

Votes

• House Roll Call #1354 (April 9, 2026): 95 yea, 1 nay, passed
• Senate Roll Call #1055 (April 1, 2026): 34 yea, 0 nay, passed
• Senate Roll Call #1054 (April 1, 2026): 34 yea, 0 nay, passed

Common questions

What is SB364?

SB364 is a bill in the Alabama Legislature (2026 Regular Session): Public K-12 education; violence prevention, conflict resolution, and mediation instruction required before graduation from high school beginning in sixth grade, State Board of Education required to adopt standards.

What does SB364 do?

In its own words: An Act, Relating to public education; to require instruction in violence prevention, conflict resolution, and mediation before graduation from high school; and to require the State Department of Education to develop standards for a course or program encompassing that instruction.

What is the status of SB364?

Signed into law as of April 17, 2026. Latest action: Enacted (April 17, 2026).

Who sponsored SB364?

Smitherman, Rodger M. (D, SD-018).

Where is the official record for SB364?

On the Alabama Legislature website: https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/instrument/2026RS/SB364