Montgomery, Ala. (WDNews) – A new bill introduced in the Alabama Legislature could soon require public schools and colleges to track and report how often their technology breaks and how much it costs to fix.
Senate Bill 343, sponsored by Sen. Gerald Allen, would mandate that all public K-12 schools, two-year colleges, and four-year universities report annual “break/fix” rates for school-issued technology devices like tablets, computers and smart boards.
Under the bill, schools must submit a yearly report by August 15 that includes the number of devices needing repair, total spending on those repairs and how those costs affect long-term ownership. Each school system’s data would then be compiled by their respective oversight body and reported to legislative budget committees.
Lawmakers say the measure will help improve accountability and ensure better use of taxpayer dollars. The bill also allows education agencies to set rules encouraging schools to consider resale value and repair costs when purchasing new technology.
If passed, the law will go into effect on October 1, 2025.
