(a) For the purposes of this section, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
(1) CERTIFICATED PERSONNEL. Full-time teachers, principals, and other education employees employed by a local board of education and required to hold a certificate issued by the State Superintendent of Education.
(2) LOCAL BOARD OF EDUCATION. A city or county board of education, the Board of Trustees of the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind, the Alabama Youth Services Board in its capacity as the Board of Education for the Youth Services School District, the Board of Directors of the Alabama School of Fine Arts, and the Board of Directors of the Alabama School of Mathematics and Science.
(3) STUDENT TEACHER. A college or university student in an education degree program who, as part of the degree program, is assigned to teach in a local public school classroom, is providing instruction to students, and is being mentored by a teacher.
(4) SUPPORT PERSONNEL or SUPPORT EMPLOYEE. Full-time maids, custodians, adult bus drivers, lunchroom or cafeteria workers, secretaries, clerks, clerical assistants, maintenance workers, or other non-certificated employees.
(b) The Department of Finance, in consultation with the State Department of Education, shall establish a program of self-insurance or purchase or provide a policy or policies of education employee liability insurance from appropriations to the State Department of Education insuring certificated personnel and support personnel who are employed by a local board of education and student teachers. Such policy or policies shall protect against damages for claims arising out of the performance of their duties or in any way connected therewith. The amount of the insurance and the appropriate coverage shall be in the discretion of the Director of Finance. Appropriations by the Legislature to fund the program shall be included in the annual Education Trust Fund Appropriations Act. An insurance carrier providing any portion of the education employee liability coverage under the program shall be selected by a competitive process. Any amount of the appropriation for purchase of liability insurance remaining after liability insurance is provided shall not revert to the Education Trust Fund, but shall be retained to cover the costs of this program and is to be accounted for in future appropriations.
(c) Insurance coverage provided by this section shall automatically cover all full-time and part-time certificated personnel and support personnel who are employed by a local board of education, and student teachers who are assigned to a classroom under the purview of a local board of education, and shall be at no cost to the certificated personnel, support personnel, or student teachers.
(d) The program of insurance established by this section shall be administered by the Department of Finance. The State Department of Education shall be the administrator of this program for the school systems and in furtherance of that duty shall pay the annual cost of the program to the Department of Finance upon receipt of a statement of that cost, and require the school systems to provide such information as the Finance Director may specify to determine the costs of the program and to adjust and defend claims.
(e) The administrators and all personnel of the local school systems shall participate in the program in accordance with the policies, procedures and rules established by the Department of Finance.
(f) The program of insurance shall be effective for insurance coverage of certificated personnel, support personnel, and student teachers not later than July 1, 2013.
Last modified: May 3, 2021