1. (a) Commencing with the 2025-2026 school year, and subject to the availability of funds, any virtual school or program operating in this state may administer state required assessments in a virtual setting that aligns with the regular academic instruction of the student, subject to all of the following conditions:

   1. (1) The assessment is administered to the student on an assigned date and at an assigned time.
   2. (2) The student attends a synchronous assessment session initiated and managed by personnel designated by the virtual school or program.
   3. (3) The assessment is administered to the student through a device that permits the assessment proctor to monitor the student by video for the entire duration of the assessment administration.
   4. (4) If the assessment platform does not allow integrated camera proctoring, the student uses two devices for the entire duration of the assessment administration: one device on which the student takes the assessment and a second device which allows the assessment proctor to monitor the student via a camera. If the assessment platform allows for the assessment proctor to view the student and background, a second device is not required.
   5. (5) The virtual school or program maintains a student assessment taker to assessment proctor ratio of 10 to one or lower.
   6. (6) The student does not exit the assessment administration area until instructed to do so by the assigned assessment proctor.
   7. (7) Submission of the assessment is verified by the assessment proctor.

2. (b) This section shall not apply to either of the following:

   1. (1) Public institutions of higher education.
   2. (2) College readiness or workforce readiness assessments provided by a national college and career readiness assessment provider until those assessments are available via remote access.
3. (c) Any individual who administers an assessment or serves as an assessment proctor pursuant to this section shall be a teacher who holds a valid Alabama professional education certificate.

(Act 2024-209, §1.)