Coming off a 94-2 vote for paid paternity leave, the Alabama Education Association (AEA) continues to push its agenda in the statehouse this session.
The AEA's latest effort is a push for educators' workman's compensation bill while the House delayed voting for at least another two weeks.
The Alabama House Ways and Means Education Committee chose Wednesday to delay voting on Senate Bill 1 (SB1) by State Rep. Sam Givhan (R-Huntsville), which would give Alabama's school workers access to compensation for on-the-job injuries.
Under current law, public education employees injured on the job must pay out-of-pocket expenses and seek reimbursement from the Board of Adjustment. Givhan's bill would give public education employees the same compensation benefits as other state employees. The bill would also create the Public Education Employee Injury Compensation Program, the Public Education Employee Injury Compensation Trust Fund, and the Public Education Employee Injury Compensation Board to distribute benefits.
The compensation would apply only to teachers, community college employees and bus drivers.
The bill's fiscal note lists an estimated minimum of $15.6 million for startup and other first-year costs.
On Wednesday, committee members seemed amenable to the bill. However, after State Rep. Cynthia Almond (R-Tuscaloosa) offered several amendments to be engrossed into a substitute, Republican lawmakers agreed they wanted more time to peruse the changes. Committee Chairman State Rep. Danny Garrett (R-Trussville) agreed and carried the bill over until a later date.
State Rep. David Faulkner (R-Mountain Brook) asked for more time to discuss the bill, stating he wanted to know why teachers needed a teacher-specific plan independent from the state workers' compensation fund.
"I am fully in support of teachers having workers' compensation and applaud you for bringing the bill," Faulkner said.
He continued, "I mentioned to Chairman Garrett that I would like to have time to have those discussions in-depth rather than trying to rush into something."
However, Democratic lawmakers on the committee objected to delaying the vote, stressing urgency. Some cited personal instances of school employees being bogged down with workers' compensation issues.
Similar legislation passed the Senate in the 2024 session. However, like many other bills, the drama surrounding the gambling debate caused it to die on the vine.
House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels (D-Huntsville) also objected to delaying the vote, pointing out that SB1 was the first bill filed in the Senate this year.
"This is SB1," Daniels said. This is not SB4, 400, this is not HB415. We've been dealing with this issue for a couple years now. If we're getting down to the finish line and deciding that we want to delay this and stand in the way of progress and opportunity for our educators, then shame on us. "
SB1 is heavily backed by the AEA, the state affiliate of the National Education Association (NEA). In its most recent publication, the Alabama School Journal, AEA Associate Executive Director Theron Stokes touted SB1 as a way of combatting "horror stories" described by injured education employees.
"AEA is supporting this legislation because it gives a new reality public school educators protection when they are hurt at work. The current system does not protect you when you are injured on the job. Senator Givhan's new system would," Stokes wrote.
He continued, "Numerous educators have had to declare bankruptcy, file for Social Security disability, or move in with relatives because they could no longer afford their house payments. Medical expenses are extremely expensive, and educators are bearing the brunt of those costs simply because they were injured while doing their jobs. I could fill this space with countless horror stories."
Lawmakers will spend the next week on Spring Break and return to Montgomery on April 1, meaning it will be nearly two weeks before SB1 can be voted on.
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