Committee advances bill barring private schools from withholding transcripts over unpaid fees

The committee gave a favorable report on House Bill 56, which would prohibit a private school from refusing to transfer a student’s transcript to a public or other school because the student or family has unpaid fees.

Sponsor remarks said the bill aims to stop schools from using transcripts as leverage against families. The sponsor told the committee that one private school in Mobile County had been the primary source of complaints and that many other schools already work with families through payment plans or other accommodations. The sponsor said other remedies exist to recover unpaid balances, including collections or lawsuits, rather than withholding transcripts.

Representative Smith asked how often the problem occurs; the sponsor said frequency varies by district and reiterated that most schools have been willing to work with families while one school was most frequently cited in complaints to the sponsor.

Representative Paschal moved for a favorable report while noting he continued to work on a possible amendment; Representative Morris seconded. The committee approved the motion by voice vote with no roll‑call tally recorded in the transcript. The sponsor said they were willing to continue negotiating language as the bill advances.

No statutory citation or specific enforcement mechanism beyond the prohibition language was specified during the committee discussion. The transcript records discussion about balancing collection options and student access to educational records but does not list specific penalty provisions for noncompliant schools.