The Legislature finds that private employers have provided their employees with flexible employee benefit plans which provide a savings both to the employer and the employee, and that the State of Alabama, its departments and agencies, may provide the same tax-effective benefits to its public education employees. It is, therefore, the intent of the Legislature to provide for the establishment of one statewide, universal "cafeteria plan" or flexible employee benefit plan to be made available to all employees in public education in compliance with the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, and to implement the plan in accordance with the rules and regulations established by the Public Education Flexible Employees' Benefit Board created by this article.
Ala. Code § 16-25A-40 (1975)