The proposed bill amends the Code of Alabama 1975 to strengthen the legal framework surrounding terrorist threats and enhance school safety. It introduces a definition for "credible threat," which is a knowing and willful statement or conduct that instills fear for safety. The bill revises penalties for making terrorist threats, classifying first-degree threats as a Class B felony and second-degree threats as a Class A misdemeanor, escalating to a Class D felony under certain conditions. It mandates that public school principals notify law enforcement immediately if a student's conduct warrants charges and imposes a minimum one-year suspension for students charged with such offenses. The bill also expands the definition of property to include hospitals and nursing homes and simplifies the legal standard for prosecution by removing certain criteria previously required to establish a threat.

Additionally, the bill enforces uniform policies for local boards of education to ensure a safe environment free from illegal drugs, alcohol, and weapons, while removing the phrase "and regulations" from the State Board's rules and replacing "persons" with "individuals." It establishes strict consequences for policy violations, including immediate suspension and a required hearing within 30 days. Parents or guardians are held financially responsible for damages caused by their children, and the bill allows public school systems to recover damages from them, with certain exceptions. A new section mandates restitution for individuals convicted of making terrorist threats, covering compensation to affected property owners and reimbursement for law enforcement costs, capped at $10,000. The bill is set to take effect on July 1, 2026.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 13A-10-240, 13A-10-241, 13A-10-242, 16-1-24
Engrossed: 13A-10-240, 13A-10-241, 13A-10-242, 16-1-24