Alabama bill would expand sick leave donation rules for K-12 employees

Proposed legislation would allow direct donations across school districts and for any reason, not just catastrophic illness.

Mar. 29, 2026 at 5:08pm

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The Alabama legislature is considering a bill that would loosen the state's rules around sick leave donations for K-12 employees. The current law only allows donations through sick leave banks and for cases of catastrophic illness, but the proposed legislation would let employees directly donate sick days to colleagues in other school districts and for any reason, not just severe medical emergencies.

Why it matters

This bill aims to make it easier for K-12 employees to support their colleagues in times of need, whether due to personal health issues, family emergencies, or other life events. By expanding the donation options, it could improve morale and camaraderie among teachers and staff across the state.

The details

Senate Bill 211, sponsored by Sen. Gerald Allen, would allow K-12 employees to directly donate sick leave to other K-12 employees starting in the 2027-28 school year, rather than requiring the donations to go through a centralized sick leave bank. The bill would also remove the requirement that the recipient have a 'catastrophic illness' in order to receive donated days. However, the bill excludes two-year college employees from these changes due to 'complexities' in transferring days between K-12 and community college systems.

  • The Alabama legislature is currently considering SB211.
  • If passed, the new sick leave donation rules would take effect starting in the 2027-28 school year.

The players

Sen. Gerald Allen

The Republican state senator who sponsored SB211, inspired by his family's experience trying to donate sick leave across school districts.

Alan Bates

The Executive Director of External Affairs for the Alabama Community College System, who emphasized that community colleges will maintain their own sick leave bank system separate from the K-12 changes.

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What they’re saying

“Through the red tape and all, it was just almost impossible to transfer sick leave days to her younger sister.”

— Sen. Gerald Allen, State Senator

“We're going to maintain a sick leave bank. That is the intent. That's not going away for our employees.”

— Alan Bates, Executive Director of External Affairs, Alabama Community College System

What’s next

The bill will next be considered on the House floor after lawmakers return from spring break, and would then need to return to the Senate for concurrence.

The takeaway

This proposed legislation aims to give K-12 employees more flexibility and autonomy in supporting their colleagues, which could boost morale and camaraderie across Alabama's public school system. However, the exclusion of community college staff from the changes highlights the complexities of managing sick leave policies across different education sectors.