Text of AL HB 246 (2025)
Public schools, colleges, and universities; immunity provided to students and teachers who decline to use certain pronouns or names
Legislative text is a public record. Where LegiScan supplied it, the CC BY 4.0 credit applies.
Source: LegiScan. Bill data and text from LegiScan (legiscan.com), licensed CC BY 4.0 and used in modified form. LegiScan does not endorse the Trans Data Initiative. License: CC BY 4.0(opens another site). Source page(opens another site)
As introduced
4,574 characters
HB246 INTRODUCED
Page 0
HB246
5FUN3M6-1
By Representatives Stadthagen, Kiel, Colvin, Kirkland,
Standridge
RFD: Education Policy
First Read: 11-Feb-25
1
2
3
4
5
6
5FUN3M6-1 01/10/2025 OW (L)cr 2024-3199
Page 1
SYNOPSIS:
This bill would prohibit employees of public
schools and public institutions of higher education
from using names or pronouns inconsistent with a
student's legal name or biological sex without written
permission from the student's parent or guardian.
This bill would protect employees from adverse
employment action for declining to use a name other
than a legal name or a pronoun other than a pronoun
corresponding to the student's biological sex or for
declining to identify his or her own pronouns.
This bill would protect students from
disciplinary action for declining to use a name other
than a legal name or a pronoun other than a pronoun
corresponding to the student's biological sex or for
declining to identify his or her own pronouns.
This bill would create a private cause of action
against a public school or public institution of higher
education for injunctive relief for individuals harmed
by violations.
A BILL
TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
HB246 INTRODUCED
Page 2
Relating to public schools and public institutions of
higher education; to restrict the use of names or pronouns
inconsistent with a student's legal name or biological sex
without consent from a parent or guardian; to protect teachers
and students from adverse actions for declining to use or
identify pronouns; and to provide for a cause of action
against a public school or institution of higher education for
violations.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
Section 1. This provision shall be known and may be
cited as the Free to Speak Act.
Section 2. For the purposes of this act, the following
terms have the following meanings:
(1) FEMALE. An individual who naturally has, had, will
have, or would have, but for a developmental or genetic
anomaly or historic accident, the reproductive system that at
some point produces, transports, and utilizes eggs for
fertilization.
(3) MALE. An individual who naturally has, had, will
have, or would have, but for a developmental or genetic
anomaly or historic accident, the reproductive system that at
some point produces, transports, and utilizes sperm for
fertilization.
(3) SEX. An individual's biological sex, either male or
female, as observed or clinically verified at birth.
Section 3. (a) An employee of a public school or public
institution of higher education, regardless of the scope of
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
HB246 INTRODUCED
Page 3
his or her official duties:
(1) Shall not knowingly and intentionally address an
unemancipated minor student by a name other than the student's
legal name, or a derivative thereof, or by a pronoun or title
that is inconsistent with the student's sex without the
written permission of a student's parent or guardian;
(2) Shall not be subject to adverse employment action
for declining to address an unemancipated minor student using
a name other than the student's legal name, or a derivative
thereof, or by a pronoun or title that is inconsistent with
the student's sex; and
(3) Shall not be subject to adverse employment action
for declining to identify his or her pronouns.
(b) A student of a public school or public institution
of higher education shall not be subject to any disciplinary
action for declining to:
(1) Address an individual using a name other than the
individual's legal name, or a derivative thereof, or by a
pronoun or title that is inconsistent with the individual's
sex in a school setting; or
(2) Identify his or her pronouns.
Section 4. (a) Any individual who is harmed by a
violation of this act shall have a private cause of action
against the public school or public institution of higher
education for injunctive relief, monetary damages, reasonable
attorney fees and costs, and any other appropriate relief.
(b) All civil actions brought pursuant to this section
must be initiated within two years after the violation
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
HB246 INTRODUCED
Page 4
occurred.
Section 5. This act shall become effective on October
1, 2025.
85
86
87