§16-44A-31. Citizenship Trust established.

(a) The State of Alabama hereby establishes and authorizes the Citizenship Trust, herein referred to as the "trust."

(b) The purpose of the trust is to strengthen and renew the foundation of American liberty and self-government through citizenship education. The trust shall provide students with high quality educational programs, learning experiences, and resources inside and outside the classroom which enhance their understanding and appreciation of the principles of American citizenship, and knowledge of the Constitution, Bill of Rights, and other essential foundations of the American Republic, and which encourage them to serve and lead their communities, state, and nation as active, responsible, informed, and law-abiding citizens. Programs shall be focused on improving student learning and achievement in the critical academic areas of American history, government, civics, and citizenship.

(c) The trust shall encourage voluntary, cooperative, and nonduplicative efforts to expand high quality citizenship education programs for students. Members may include any public, private, or nonprofit organization, entity, or individual who subscribes to the purpose. Members may choose to participate or not participate in any programs of the trust, and membership shall in no way restrict, diminish, impinge upon, create obligations of, or limit the autonomy of the respective member parties. The elected officials of any governmental unit which is a member and who desire to do so shall serve as ex officio members. There shall be an annual meeting or assembly, at a time and place to be determined by the board of trustees, of the members to hear progress reports, share ideas of successful citizenship education projects, and make recommendations to the board of trustees.

(d) The Citizenship Trust shall be domiciled in Shelby County, Alabama, and shall be constituted as a public not-for-profit educational corporation upon the filing of these articles with the Secretary of State. It is the intent that the Citizenship Trust shall be qualified as a Section 501(c)(3) organization under the Internal Revenue Code and regulations of the United States, and that none of the net proceeds of the trust shall ever inure to the personal, private benefit of an individual.

(e) The Citizenship Trust shall be governed by a board of directors, designated the board of trustees (herein called the "board"), and elected in accordance with bylaws of the Trust. There shall be a chair, vice chair, secretary, and other officers as determined by the bylaws. The board membership shall be diverse and broadly representative, and at least one fourth of its members shall be Black.

(f) The board shall adopt and revise its bylaws consistent with the laws of Alabama. A copy shall be filed with the Secretary of State.

(g) The trust shall develop, share, conduct, and encourage citizenship educational programs and experiences through instructional materials, resources, a demonstration classroom, exhibition, and educational resource facility programs, and through programs and experiences extended and available for use in classrooms, schools, and other citizenship organizations by television, technology, teacher services, educational resource materials, and other means.

(h) The trust shall encourage close cooperation and exchange of ideas and successful programs. Participation in its programs and services shall be voluntary. The trust shall focus its efforts on citizenship education and shall not provide community leadership organization programs. The trust shall encourage its members to work together to create a new generation of citizens mindful of the rich blessings of their American citizenship, who are knowledgeable not only of its privileges but of its responsibilities as well, and who are committed to serving their communities, state, and nation as law-abiding, informed, active, and responsible citizens.

(i) The board may designate the trust by another name, but the name shall include the words "Citizenship Trust," and the designation shall in no way affect any of the rights, privileges, or responsibilities of the trust. In the event of dissolution of the trust, which may be accomplished only by legislative act, the residual assets shall be distributed to another public corporation or organization which is exempt from federal income tax as an organization described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

(Acts 1995, No. 95-376, p. 766, §2; Act 2001-970, 3rd Sp. Sess., p. 868, §5.)