Gov. Carter Holloway signed 10 bills into law during the 77th Alabama YMCA Youth Legislature. These bills either passed both the Youth Legislature Senate and House or were approved by the members of the First-Year program. The bills that become law are:
- SB57 by Karter Long, Spain Park High School – The High Way: Alabama Cannabis and Infrastructure Development Act, which legalizes adult use of cannabis and levies a 20% excise tax on cannabis sales to fund maintenance and expansion of roads in Alabama’s rural counties.
- SB65 by Khii Moore and Eric Hunter, AH Parker High School – The Alabama Disability Identification and Safety Act, which establishes a voluntary disability identifier on Alabama driver’s licenses to improve communication and safety during disabled drivers’ interactions with law enforcement and emergency responders.
- HB43 by Olivia Self, Mountain Brook High School – Change The Minimum Tipping Wage Act, which sets the minimum tipping wage in Alabama at $7 an hour.
- HB57 by Jonathan Klimjack, Bayside Academy, Daphne – A Bill to Remove Confederate Celebrations, which eliminates the Robert E. Lee, Jefferson Davis and Confederate Memorial Day state holidays beginning in 2027.
- HB19 by Sara Lane Smith, Vestavia Hills High School – The Access to Relevant Queer Information and Support in Alabama Schools Act of 2026, which requires all public middle and and high schools to appropriately include LGBTQ+ figures and events in history and literature when relevant; have at least one counselor or staff member trained in supporting LGBTQ+ students and their mental health; and allow formation of inclusion clubs.
- FY1 by Kara Hughes, Spain Park High School – A bill to expand state prisoner Medicaid access, enhance the programs for mental health and substance abuse treatment and increase evidence-based rehabilitation in Alabama prisons.
- FY30 by Caroline Faris, Spain Park High School – Felon, not Forever Act, which allows those sentenced to medium- or low-security correctional facilities to have their felony removed from their record after they serve their sentence and complete a five-year rehabilitation program, either while incarcerated or after release.
- FY59 by Maddox Blalock, Northside Methodist Academy, Dothan – Vaping Act for Future Generations, which seeks to eliminate vaping among minors through education and regulation of colors, flavors and marketing to adolescents.
- FY41 by William Pringle, Mountain Brook High School – A Bill to Keep Kids in School requires public schools to offer optional in-school flu vaccinations to all K-12 students through an opt-out system
- FY8 by London Hamilton, Hoover High School – Accessible Education ACT requires all state public middle and high school buses in rural areas to be outfitted with free wifi to enhance education.
Gov. Carter Holloway with the authors of legislation the governor signed into law. Photo by Zoe Langley, Bayside Academy, Daphne.
Three Bills, One From Each Chamber, Chosen as Best: https://alyig.org/2026/03/04/best-bills-2026/