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House approves bill allowing volunteer campus chaplains in K–12 public schools
Summary
House Bill 179 will authorize local school boards and public charter schools to allow trained, volunteer campus chaplains to provide confidential support to teachers and staff at their request. The House adopted the bill after members discussed background checks, training, religious neutrality and how chaplains would operate alongside existing
The Alabama House passed House Bill 179 to authorize local boards of education and public charter school governing bodies to permit trained volunteer campus chaplains to provide confidential support to school personnel at the staff member’s request.
Nut graf: Sponsors described chaplains as a voluntary, supplemental resource for teachers, principals and staff who seek confidential guidance; sponsors and supporters emphasized background checks, credentialing and non‑proselytizing training as safeguards. Opponents questioned overlap with school counselors, the adequacy of screening, and how chaplains would accommodate staff of different faiths.
Representative Gidley, sponsor of the bill, said chaplains would be volunteers vetted by the same background checks required of school volunteers and must present credentials from recognized chaplaincy programs. He and supporters framed the measure as an additional resource for educators under stress, not a replacement for counseling staff. Representative Hollis and others described outreach to teachers and superintendents and said support from education professionals informed the bill and suggested it would be optional for school systems and educators.
Floor debate covered concerns about denominational issues and how a chaplain would respond to staff with differing faiths. Sponsors responded that trained chaplains are taught to address people “where they are” and to provide support regardless of a staff member’s beliefs; the bill requires chaplains to be certified by a credible chaplaincy program and to undergo required background checks. The House adopted the committee substitute and then passed HB 179 by recorded vote (92 ayes, 5 nays on the committee report; final passage recorded as 91 ayes, 4 nays).
The bill’s supporters said an employer-paid chaplain model was not proposed; all chaplains are volunteers and the law does not require school systems to use them. The sponsor opened the text to cosponsors after passage; the Clerk recorded more than 50 cosponsors by the end of the floor session.
