Political leadership in Alabama routinely says it wants to make Alabama the most military- and veteran-friendly state in the country.
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The state is home to five military bases and around 400,000 veterans. With 22 legislative days complete, Alabama Daily News has been tracking the movement of around 15 bills targeting veterans.
Two bills have been signed into law, one awaits the governor’s signature and several others are one vote away from final passage. Here’s where those bills stand.
Signed by the governor
Gov. Kay Ivey has already signed into law two bills targeted at veterans.
First is a bill to count military training and experience in emergency medical services toward Alabama’s requirements to become licensed in EMS.
Rep. Tashina Morris’, D-Montgomery, House Bill 182 requires the Alabama Department of Public Health to count any experience, education or training completed through the U.S. Armed Forces or Reserves or the National Guard, Military Reserves or Naval Militia as credit toward the qualifications for the state’s emergency medical services personnel license.
Ivey also signed into law a bill aimed at speeding up the process for qualified military veterans to get certificates to teach in K-12 schools.
Senate Bill 149, sponsored by Sen. Matt Woods, R-Jasper, and Rep. Rick Rehm, R-Dothan, allows the Alabama State Department of Education to issue temporary teaching certificates to eligible veterans who would otherwise need at least a bachelor’s degree.
Military veterans would qualify for a temporary teaching certificate for up to five years if they:
- Serve in the military for a minimum of 48 months;
- Complete at least 60 hours of college credit with a minimum GPA of 2.5;
- Pass the Praxis test for the subject areas they plan to teach;
- Pass a background check;
- Are recommended for certification by a local superintendent or school administrator.
Veterans entering the classroom under the program would also be assigned a mentor teacher for at least their first two years.
The bill was a priority for Ivey in her last legislative session, and she said it ensures that opportunity follows veterans’ service and sacrifice.
“Our veterans have already answered the brave call to serve our country,” Ivey said in a press release. “Now, as America nears its 250th year, we are creating a pathway for our heroes to answer a new call — guiding students, filling critical teacher shortages and continuing their mission of service right here at home. This is good for our veterans, and it is especially good for our young people who will learn from their leadership and example.”
The law goes into effect on Oct.1, meaning more veterans could be in the classroom as early as next school year.
Waiting on Ivey’s signature
House Bill 77, sponsored by Rep. Kenneth Paschal, R-Pelham, has passed in both chambers and now awaits Ivey’s signature.
Existing law exempts Alabamians over 65 and people who are retired because of certain disabilities from paying all state ad valorem taxes. The Commissioner of Revenue currently grants those with a permanent and total disability a certificate as proof of their exemption.
Paschal’s bill, the Disabled Veterans Property Tax Debt-To-Income Ratio Exemption Act, would require the state to issue a tentative certificate of exemption from homestead ad valorem taxes to veterans with a 100% disability rating from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs when they apply for home mortgage loans.
The bill would also prohibit settlement agents and loan officers from including homestead ad valorem taxes when calculating the debt-to-income ratio of these disabled veterans if they have received a certificate.
Awaiting final passage
Three bills have passed in one chamber and have been approved in the second chamber’s committee.
Senate Bill 33, sponsored by Sen. Wes Kitchens, R-Arab, expands the list of veterans eligible to receive a distinctive license tag based on exposure to dangerous levels of radiation. The bill passed the Senate by a vote of 30-0 and was approved by a House committee in late January.
Rep. Rehm’s House Bill 307 authorizes certain state employers to give preference to veterans, active duty service members and their spouses when considering them for a job. It also provides these military members and their spouses with additional points on ratings for state employment. It passed in the House by a vote of 104-0 and passed out of a Senate committee last week.
House Bill 292, also sponsored by Rehm, revises the requirements for a special disabled veteran license plate. Current law makes any disabled veteran whose physical disability is more than 50% eligible, but Rehm’s bill changes the language to include those with a 50% disability. It passed in the House by a vote of 102-0 and passed out of a Senate committee in mid-February.
Passed in one chamber, waiting on committee action in the second
House Bill 233, sponsored by Rep. Ed Oliver, R-Dadeville, and Sen. Andrew Jones, R-Centre, expands the National Guard Educational Assistance Program to include tuition assistance for workforce development, not just higher education institutions. The bill passed in the House last week by a vote of 105-0.
Introduced by Rep. Ontario Tillman, D-Bessemer, House Bill 60 allows courts to postpone a criminal or civil case if the defendant or plaintiff, their attorney or certain witnesses are unable to attend because they are on active duty in the military. In criminal cases, a judge would have to set bail for certain defendants if the case is delayed. It passed in the House last week by a vote of 105-0.
House Bill 107, sponsored by Rep. Donna Givens, R-Loxley, establishes a special license plate for those who have served in military combat action and provides a criminal penalty for falsely obtaining the plate. The House passed the bill by a vote of 105-0 in early February.
House Majority Paul Lee’s, R-Dothan, House Bill 155 would stop permanently and totally disabled veterans from having to annually verify their qualification for homestead exemptions for ad valorem taxes. It passed in the House by a vote of 105-0 in early February.
No committee action taken
Several other bills, with aims ranging from exempting homes whose sole income comes from veterans’ benefits from trash collection fees to revising eligibility requirements for the Alabama G.I. Dependent Scholarship Program, still haven’t appeared in committee in either chamber.
There are also several other bills floating around the State House that affect veterans’ dependents or recruitment into military service.
Eight legislative days remain in the 2026 session.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Claire Harrison and originally published by Alabama Daily News.
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