This act is the College and Higher Education Excellence and Results (CHEER) Act. This act adds Chapter 5B to Title 16, Code of Alabama 1975, to: (1) establish the CHEER Fund in the State Treasury to be administered by the Alabama Commission on Higher Education (ACHE) to consist of all funds appropriated to ACHE for outcomes-based funding for four-year colleges and universities and other funds; (2) establish an outcomes-based higher education funding program beginning in the fiscal year beginning on October 1, 2026, through which institutions of higher education meeting specific eligibility criteria may receive bonus funding for achieving performance outcome category goals; (3) establish the Outcomes-Based Higher Education Funding Coordinating Committee to select, in discussion with institutions, the performance outcome category goals, collect data needed from institutions to award funds, make recommendations to the Legislature regarding the funding, and annually publish a report on the implementation and impact of the program; (4) require all bonus funds be used for achieving performance outcome category goals, subject to exceptions. This act also supersedes any previous outcomes-based funding program, including those developed by the Alabama Community College Advisory Council on outcomes-based funding under Act 2017-217.

This act amends Sections 25-5-316, 25-8-45, 25-8-59, 25-12-7, 25-12-18, 25-13-6, 25-13-12, and 25-13-15, Code of Alabama 1975, to: (1) authorize unexpended funds in the Workers' Compensation Administrative Trust Fund to be expended at the Secretary of the Department of Workforce's discretion so long as not in a manner to cause additional assessments; (2) remove the requirement that penalty fees collected for violating child labor laws must accrue to the State General Fund; (3) remove boilers and pressure vessels that are a part of manufacturing processes from the exceptions from the Boiler and Pressure Vessel Safety Act; (4) remove the limitation of pressure vessel certificates of inspection fees not to exceed $10; (5) remove the requirement that all boiler and pressure vessel fees collected in excess of the appropriated amount be transferred to the State General Fund annually; (6) require the Elevator Safety Review Board to require new elevator installations and modifications or alterations to comply with the most recent elevator safety codes in effect at certain times; (7) remove the requirement that all fees collected in the Elevator Safety Review Board Operational Fund in excess of the appropriated amount be transferred to the State General Fund annually; (8) revise the renewal period for elevator mechanic licenses from biennially to annually; (9) revise the period during which emergency and temporary elevator mechanic licenses are valid from 30 to 90 days and 30 to 180 days, respectively; and (10) prohibit persons from altering a conveyance unless physically present to verify code compliance and safety and prohibit remote interaction with conveyances.