On Thursday, July 11, 2024, Governor Kay Ivey held a bill signing ceremony, marking the successful enactment of Alabama’s 2024 Military Bills Package.
This years’ package included:
Tax Relief for Deployed and Mobilized Service Members
· SB209 (ACT NUMBER 2024 – 170) sponsored by Senator Andrew Jones, (Representative Kenneth Paschal sponsored the House companion bill, HB283) – Exempts all overseas deployment pay from state income tax for all servicemembers and exempts National Guard and Reserve state-side mobilization pay from state income tax.
Veterans’ Mental Healthcare Improvement
· SB135 (ACT NUMBER 2024-358) sponsored by Senator Andrew Jones, (Representative Chip Brown sponsored the House companion bill, HB197) – Requires the Department of Mental Health and Department of Veterans Affairs to develop a plan to address Alabama veterans’ behavioral health needs and consider pilot programs to address gaps for specific veterans’ behavioral services.
Military Dependent Education and Legal Needs
· HB251 (ACT NUMBER 2024 – 397) sponsored by Representative Chad Robertson, (Senator Andrew Jones sponsored the companion bill, SB206) – Allows dependents of military servicemembers to enroll in athletics programs even if they move into Alabama outside of the established registration cycle.
· SB211 (ACT NUMBER 2024 – 328) sponsored by Senator Donnie Chesteen, (Representative Patrice McClammy sponsored the House companion bill, HB292) – Allows for remote and early enrollment of military dependents into special education services when moving from out of state. Also requires parental notification and consent before changing a dependent’s Individual Education Plan.
· SB210 (ACT NUMBER 2024 – 327) sponsored by Senator Rodger Smitherman, (Representative Kenyatté Hassell sponsored the House companion bill, HB260) – Provides for concurrent state/federal jurisdiction for crimes committed by juveniles on Alabama military installations if the crime is also a state offense and the federal prosecutor waves exclusive jurisdiction.
Military Spouse Occupational Licensure
· SB207 (ACT NUMBER 2024 – 366) sponsored by Senator Kirk Hatcher, (Representative Mark Gidley sponsored the House companion bill, HB317) – Enrolls Alabama into the Dietician Interstate Compact to assist with military and military spouse occupational licensure.
· SB208 (ACT NUMBER 2024 – 298) sponsored by Senator Keith Kelley, (Representative Kenyatté Hassell sponsored the House companion bill, HB318) – Enrolls Alabama into the Social Work Interstate Compact to assist with military and military spouse occupational licensure.
Statute and Program Modernization
· HB284 (ACT NUMBER 2024 – 399) sponsored by Representative Jerry Starnes, (Senator Clyde Chambliss sponsored the bill in the Senate) – Provides uniformity and conformance to federal standards for the provision of benefits under the Alabama GI and Dependents Education Benefit Act.
· HB103 (ACT NUMBER 2024 – 442) sponsored by Representative Kenneth Paschal, (Senator Gerald Allen sponsored the bill in the Senate) – Provides technical corrections and modernizes Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs statute.
· SB287 (ACT NUMBER 2024 – 329) sponsored by Senator Sam Givhan, (Representative Cynthia Almond sponsored the House companion bill, HB412) – Modernizes the Alabama Code of Military Justice at the request of the Alabama National Guard.
