Alabama Just Made It Legal for Students to Leave School for Bible Class

Alabama Signs New Law Allowing Public School Students to Leave for Religious Instruction

Alabama Governor Kay Ivey signed Senate Bill 248, the Alabama Released Time Credit Act, on April 8, 2026. The law allows public school students to leave campus during the school day for off campus religious instruction conducted by private organizations.

The bill was sponsored by Senator Shay Shelnutt (R Trussville) and carried in the House by Representative Susan Dubose (R Greystone). It passed the Senate 32 to 0 and the House 88 to 4.

Under the new law, parents or guardians may enroll their children in released time programs sponsored by churches or local community based religious organizations. All instruction must take place off school grounds, be privately funded, and require no taxpayer money. Students may also receive elective academic credit for participation.

Parents have the right and responsibility to guide the upbringing and education of their children.

Greg Chafuen, Senior Counsel at the Alliance Defending Freedom, praised the legislation, adding that the government should not stop families from raising their children in their family's faith.

The measure updates a 2019 Alabama law and adds clearer guidelines and protections that were requested by school superintendents. Schools may only deny participation if there is objective evidence of a substantial risk of physical harm or if attendance would cause students to miss required minimum instructional time.

Sponsoring religious organizations are required to provide transportation and conduct background checks on all instructors. Students cannot be excused from required core curriculum classes to participate.

Representative Dubose celebrated the passage, saying two years of work had finally gotten the legislation over the finish line. The new law takes effect on July 1, 2026.

The legal foundation for released time programs dates back to the 1952 U.S. Supreme Court case Zorach v. Clauson, which established that such programs are constitutional under the First Amendment.

Alabama Governor Signs Released Time Credit Act Into Law for Religious Education

The legislation is part of a broader push in Alabama's 2026 legislative session to strengthen the role of faith in public life. Other bills signed during the session include a measure requiring the display of the Ten Commandments in certain public school classrooms and a constitutional amendment allowing student led prayer.

The Crusader's Opinion

This is what victory looks like. When a state legislature votes nearly unanimously to protect the right of parents to raise their children in the faith, that is a sign that the spirit of Christendom is alive and fighting in America. For too long, the secular establishment has treated religion as something to be quarantined away from education. Alabama is saying no more. Parents, not bureaucrats, decide how their children learn about God. The Supreme Court settled this question in 1952 and now Alabama has put teeth behind it. Every state in this nation should follow suit.

Take Action

• Contact your state representative and ask them to introduce a released time credit act in your state. Find your representative at usa.gov/elected-officials.
• Learn about released time programs in your area and how your church can become a sponsoring organization at releasedtime.org.
• Support the Alliance Defending Freedom, which backed this legislation and fights for religious liberty across the country, at adflegal.org.
• Talk to your pastor about starting a released time program at your church for local public school students.
• Support Christian education initiatives through www.TheShepherdsShield.org.