Lawmakers are pushing to end a 1965 law that mandates the University of Alabama to maintain a School of Social Work. The bill, approved by the House Ways and Means Education Committee, aims to provide the university with flexibility in structuring its programs. The sponsor, Rep. Danny Garrett, emphasizes that the bill is not anti-social work but rather seeks to remove an unnecessary legislative structure. He argues that the current mandate is an overreach of legislative power. The bill does not prohibit the university from maintaining a School of Social Work; it simply removes the mandatory requirement. Other Alabama universities, such as Auburn, the University of North Alabama, and the University of Alabama at Birmingham, do not have standalone social work schools, instead integrating them into larger colleges. Students and alumni have expressed concerns about the bill, highlighting the importance of the School of Social Work in educating and training the workforce that Alabama relies on for critical human services. If passed, the bill will take effect on October 1st. Efforts to reach University of Alabama representatives for comment have been unsuccessful.
