The bill, designated as SB54, amends current law to require the State Textbook Committee to regularly review periodicals used in public K-12 schools in Alabama. A "periodical" is defined as any magazine, newspaper, or journal published at regular intervals, and it is considered "regularly used" if it is utilized at least once a month during the academic year. The State Board of Education is authorized to develop guidelines for this review process, which will include the publication of statewide lists of vetted and approved periodicals. Importantly, the guidelines for reviewing periodicals will be separate from the existing State Textbook Review Process outlined in Article 3 of Chapter 36 of Title 16 of the Code of Alabama 1975.

The act is set to take effect on October 1, 2024. There are no deletions from current law mentioned in the text, but the new provisions aim to enhance the oversight of educational materials in K-12 classrooms by ensuring that periodicals are regularly evaluated for their appropriateness and educational value.