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HB377 INTRODUCED
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HB377
I3J51ZW-1
By Representatives Holk-Jones, Robertson, Rehm, Brown, Smith,
Paschal, Oliver, Lipscomb, Harrison, Pettus, Underwood,
Treadaway, Wood (R), Jones, Hendrix, McClammy, Gidley, Moore
(P), Marques, Reynolds
RFD: Ways and Means Education
First Read: 03-Feb-26
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I3J51ZW-1 01/14/2026 ZAK (L)ma 2026-242
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First Read: 03-Feb-26
SYNOPSIS:
Under the Alabama G.I. and Dependents'
Educational Benefit Act, educational benefits for up to
the undergraduate course level are available to
eligible children, spouses, and widows of deceased or
disabled veterans, veterans who are listed as missing
in action, and veterans who were prisoners of war while
serving in the United States Armed Forces.
This bill would expand these educational
benefits to include graduate courses in a medical
field.
This bill would limit the tuition that may be
charged.
This bill would also make nonsubstantive,
technical revisions to update the existing code
language to current style.
A BILL
TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
Relating to Alabama G.I. and Dependents' Educational
Benefit Act ; to amend Sections 31-6-2, 31-6-4, 31-6-5, and
31-6-6, Code of Alabama 1975, to expand educational benefits
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31-6-6, Code of Alabama 1975, to expand educational benefits
for eligible children, spouses, and widows of certain veterans
to include graduate courses in a medical field; to limit
tuition that may be charged; and to make nonsubstantive,
technical revisions to update the existing code language to
current style.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
Section 1. Sections 31-6-2, 31-6-4, 31-6-5, and 31-6-6,
Code of Alabama 1975, are amended to read as follows:
"§31-6-2
For the purposes of this chapter, the following terms
have the following meanings ascribed to them by this section :
(1) ARMED FORCES. Includes the United States Army, Air
Force, Navy, Marine Corps, Space Force, and Coast Guard.
(2) COMPREHENSIVE TRANSITION AND POSTSECONDARY PROGRAM
FOR STUDENTS WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES. Has the same
meaning as in 20 U.S.C. § 1140.
(3) MEDICAL FIELD. Includes any professional physical
health care program, professional mental health care program,
allied health care program, and health care administration
program.
(3)(4) QUALIFYING PRIVATE SCHOOL. Any regionally
accredited private two-year or four-year institution of higher
education physically located in the state that receives a
direct appropriation from the state or whose resident students
may receive appropriations from the state through the Alabama
Student Grant Program.
(4)(5) QUALIFYING SCHOOL. An institution that is either
a qualifying state school or a qualifying private school as
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a qualifying state school or a qualifying private school as
defined by this chapter .
(5)(6) QUALIFYING STATE SCHOOL. An Alabama public
two-year or four-year institution of higher education.
(6)(7) SPOUSE. Husband or wife.
(7)(8) TUITION. Fees for instruction.
(8)(9) TUITION AND FEES. All fees known and classed as
instructional fees.
(9)(10) WIDOW. An individual whose spouse is deceased
and who has not remarried."
"§31-6-4
(a)(1) Any child whose father or mother meets any of
the following criteria may attend any qualifying school for a
period of five standard academic years, not to exceed 45
months or the equivalent of 45 months if enrolled part-time,
pursuant to the tuition reimbursement guidelines as provided
in subsection (c)(d):
a. Was killed or died in line of duty or is listed as
missing in action or is or was a prisoner of war or whose
death or permanent total disabilities were service-connected
while serving as a member of the armed forces ;.
b. Died from a disability incurred from military
service, as established by the State Department of Veterans'
Veterans Affairs, after having been discharged under
conditions other than dishonorable and after having served at
least 90 days consecutively in the armed forces prior to
and/or subsequent to the date on which the disability
occurred , or who was honorably discharged by reason of a
qualifying service-connected disability after serving less
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qualifying service-connected disability after serving less
than 90 days ;.
c. Was killed or died while on state active duty status
as defined in Section 31-12-1, or whose death results
proximately and within three years from an injury received
while on state active duty status ; or.
d. Has been assigned a 100 percent permanent or total
disability rated rating by the United States Veterans'
Administration Department of Veterans Affairs , or was
discharged or retired from the armed forces with a 40 percent
or more disability and maintained that percentage.
(2) Training under this section must be initiated prior
to the child's thirtieth birthday, and must be completed
within eight years after its initiation, except for delays
caused by military service during the training period, and in
no case may training be received under this chapter beyond the
thirty-eighth birthday of the child.
(b) For children applying for benefits for the first
time beginning with the fall term of the 2014-2015 academic
year, and thereafter, the total value of tuition charged may
not exceed the in-state tuition rate of the qualifying school
attended.
(b)(c)(1) The educational benefits provided by this
section to children making application for benefits for the
first time beginning with the fall term of the 2014-2015
academic year, and thereafter, shall be limited to
undergraduate courses of study only, and the value of tuition
paid shall be limited to the in-state tuition rate of the
qualifying school attended .
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qualifying school attended .
(2) Notwithstanding subdivision (1), commencing July
31, 2026, the educational benefits shall include graduate
courses of study in a medical field.
(c)(d) For those first filing for benefits under this
chapter on or after July 31, 2017, and for those attending a
qualifying private school, the educational benefit shall be
for tuition reimbursement and books and fees reimbursement.
The value of tuition paid per semester hour (, or equivalent ),
shall be limited to four hundred dollars ($400). The value of
the books and fees paid per semester shall be limited to one
thousand dollars ($1,000) per student.
(d)(e) For the purpose of the minimum disability
requirement provided for in subdivision (a)(4) paragraph
(a)(1)d. , the dependent of any veteran whose disability rating
as of July 31, 2017, is at least 20 percent but less than 40
percent shall qualify for the benefits of this chapter,
provided that the dependent shall file an application for the
benefits before July 31, 2023, and the dependent is reasonably
expected to be eligible to attend a qualifying school in the
next academic year."
"§31-6-5
(a)(1) Any spouse or widow whose spouse, during their
marriage, meets any of the following criteria shall be
entitled to training in any qualifying school for a period of
five standard academic years, not to exceed 45 months, or to
training for the equivalent of 45 months if enrolled
part-time, pursuant to the tuition reimbursement guidelines as
provided in subsection (c)(d):
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provided in subsection (c)(d):
a. Was killed or died in the line of duty or is listed
as missing in action or is or was a prisoner of war while
serving as a member of the armed forces ;.
b. Died from a disability incurred from military
service ;.
c. Was killed or died while on state active duty status
as defined in Section 31-12-1, or whose death results
proximately and within three years from an injury sustained
while on state active duty status ; or.
d. Is 100 percent permanently and totally disabled,
whose permanent and total disabilities were service-connected.
(2) One change of program shall be allowed without
counseling. All training received under this section must
shall be completed within eight years after its initiation.
(b) This section shall not apply to the spouse of any
deceased serviceman or veteran who has remarried prior to
applying for and obtaining educational benefits under this
section , and should . If any spouse of the deceased serviceman
or veteran remarry remarries during the time he or she is in
attendance upon any of the qualifying schools mentioned in
this section, then he or she shall pay tuition and fees for
the course of study or attendance upon the qualifying school
from the time of the remarriage.
(c) For spouses and widows applying for benefits for
the first time beginning with the fall term of the 2014-2015
academic year, and thereafter, the total value of tuition
charged may not exceed the in-state tuition rate of the
qualifying school attended.
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qualifying school attended.
(b)(d)(1) The educational benefits provided by this
section to spouses and widows making application for benefits
for the first time beginning with the fall term of the
2014-2015 academic year, and thereafter, shall be limited to
undergraduate courses of study only , and the value of tuition
paid shall be limited to the in-state tuition rate of the
qualifying school attended .
(2) Notwithstanding subdivision (1), commencing July
31, 2026, the educational benefits shall include graduate
courses of study in a medical field.
(c)(e) For those first filing for benefits under this
chapter on or after July 31, 2017, and for those attending a
qualifying private school, the educational benefit shall be
for tuition reimbursement and books and fees reimbursement.
The value of tuition paid per semester hour (, or equivalent ),
shall be limited to four hundred dollars ($400). The value of
the books and fees paid per semester shall be limited to one
thousand dollars ($1,000) per student."
"§31-6-6
(a) The spouse and children of any veteran who is
suffering from 40 to 90 percent service-connected disability
brought about from service in the Armed Forces of the United
States, or the widow and children of a deceased veteran who
was suffering from 40 percent or more of service-connected
disability at the time of death, as established by the State
Department of Veterans' Veterans Affairs, shall be entitled to
the following educational advantages and opportunities:
(1) The spouse or widow shall be entitled to up to 27
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(1) The spouse or widow shall be entitled to up to 27
months of schooling, or the equivalent of 27 months if
enrolled part-time, in any qualifying school, pursuant to the
tuition reimbursement guidelines as provided in subsection
(d)(e). One change of program shall be allowed without
counseling. All training received at qualifying schools under
this subdivision must be completed within a period of six
years after its initiation.
(2) Each child of a disabled veteran shall be entitled
to five standard academic years, or the equivalent of 45
months if enrolled part-time, in any qualifying school
pursuant to the tuition reimbursement guidelines as provided
in subsection (d)(e). One change of program shall be allowed
without counseling. Training under this subdivision must shall
be initiated prior to the child's twenty-sixth birthday, and
must shall be completed within eight years after its
initiation, except for delays caused by military service
during the training period, and in no case may training be
received under this section beyond the thirty-fourth birthday
of the child.
(b) For the purpose of the minimum disability
requirement provided for in subsection (a), the dependent of
any veteran whose disability rating as of July 31, 2017, is at
least 20 percent but less than 40 percent shall qualify for
the benefits of this chapter, provided that the dependent
shall file application for benefits before July 31, 2023, and
the dependent is reasonably expected to be eligible to attend
a qualifying school in the next academic year.
(c) For spouses, children, and widows applying for
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(c) For spouses, children, and widows applying for
benefits for the first time beginning with the fall term of
the 2014-2015 academic year, and thereafter, the total value
of tuition charged may not exceed the in-state tuition rate of
the qualifying school attended.
(c)(d)(1) The educational benefits provided by this
section to spouses, children, and widows making application
for benefits for the first time beginning with the fall term
of the 2014-2015 academic year, and thereafter, shall be
limited to undergraduate courses of study only, and the value
of tuition paid shall be limited to the in-state tuition rate
of the qualifying school attended .
(2) Notwithstanding subdivision (1), commencing July
31, 2026, the educational benefits shall include graduate
courses of study in a medical field.
(d)(e) For those first filing for benefits under this
chapter on or after July 31, 2017, and for those attending a
qualifying private school, the educational benefit shall be
for tuition reimbursement and books and fees reimbursement.
The value of tuition paid per semester hour (, or equivalent ),
shall be limited to four hundred dollars ($400). The value of
the books and fees paid per semester shall be limited to one
thousand dollars ($1,000) per student."
Section 2. This act shall become effective on January
1, 2028.
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