HB188ENGROSSED
Page 0
HB188
MU6AWHW-2
By Representatives Treadaway, Wilcox, Hurst, Wood (R),
Yarbrough
RFD: Ways and Means Education
First Read: 05-Feb-25
1
2
3
4
5
6 HB188 Engrossed
Page 1
First Read: 05-Feb-25
A BILL
TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
Relating to scholarships; to establish a program to
grant tuition money to dependents of law enforcement officers
for use in participating public or private institutions of
higher education in the State of Alabama; to provide
requirements for scholarship eligibility; to provide
scholarship conditions and terms; to provide for
administration of the program by the Alabama Commission on
Higher Education; to establish the Alabama Law Enforcement
Officers Family Scholarship Fund; and to establish a
distinctive blackout license plate to help fund the
scholarship program.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
Section 1. Article 11, commencing with Section
36-21-220, is added to Chapter 21 of Title 36, Code of Alabama
1975, to read as follows:
Article 11.
§36-21-220
This article shall be known and cited as the Alabama
Law Enforcement Officers' Family Scholarship Program.
§36-21-221
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28 HB188 Engrossed
Page 2
§36-21-221
As used in this article, the following terms have the
following meanings:
(1) ACADEMIC PERIOD. A semester or quarter.
(2) APPROVED POSTSECONDARY PROGRAM. Any for-credit or
non-credit workforce or career training program or course of
study at the undergraduate level directed toward a vocational
certification, an associate degree, or a baccalaureate degree
offered by a participating institution. The term includes an
academic major.
(3) COMMISSION. The Alabama Commission on Higher
Education, including the commission's Office of Student
Assistance.
(4) ELIGIBLE DEPENDENT. An individual who, on the date
of applying for the scholarship provided under this article,
is:
a. Not eligible for the police officer's survivors
educational assistance provided under Article 5 of this
chapter; and
b. Either of the following:
1. A natural or adopted child of a qualifying law
enforcement officer, who is under 27 years of age, and who has
resided in the state for at least the two preceding years; or
2. The current or surviving spouse of a qualifying law
enforcement officer who has resided in the state for at least
the two preceding years.
(5) LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY. Any law enforcement
department or agency that serves the state, a municipality, a
county, or a postsecondary educational institution.
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56 HB188 Engrossed
Page 3
county, or a postsecondary educational institution.
(6) PARTICIPATING INSTITUTION. An accredited public or
private postsecondary vocational school, technical school,
community or junior college, college, or university that
enters into a contract with the board to accept reimbursement
for a scholarship awarded to an eligible dependent.
(7) QUALIFYING LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER. An individual
who:
a. Is or has been certified by the Alabama Peace
Officers' Standards and Training Commission.
b. Is employed full-time for at least seven years by a
single law enforcement agency in the state, or at least 12
continuous years on a full-time basis by more than one law
enforcement agency in the state.
c. If no longer employed in law enforcement or retired,
was not terminated from the most recent employment as a law
enforcement officer pursuant to a disciplinary action.
(8) REQUIRED EDUCATIONAL EXPENSES. Costs charged for
tuition, mandatory fees, and books or electronic and digital
media required on a course syllabus.
§36-21-222
(a) The Alabama Law Enforcement Officers' Family
Scholarship is established to reimburse participating
institutions on behalf of eligible dependents the cost of
required educational expenses for up to eight semesters or 12
quarters in an approved postsecondary program.
(b)(1) The scholarship shall pay required educational
expenses after any other amounts from public or private
scholarships, grants, aid, or gifts awarded by third parties
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84 HB188 Engrossed
Page 4
scholarships, grants, aid, or gifts awarded by third parties
to the eligible dependent for the academic period have been
applied.
(2) The amount for each recipient shall be capped at
three thousand dollars ($3,000) for each academic period.
(c) The scholarship may be granted to as many
dependents of one qualifying law enforcement officer as are
eligible and who comply with the requirements of this article.
(d) The scholarship shall be administered by the
commission.
(e)(1) Availability of the scholarship to eligible
dependents is subject to an annual appropriation to the
Alabama Law Enforcement Officers' Family Scholarship Program
in the annual Education Trust Fund Appropriation Act, which
shall not exceed ten million dollars ($10,000,000).
(2) Available money for the scholarship may be
supplemented by private donations.
(3) Reimbursement shall be made at the end of each
academic period by the commission to a participating
institution by certified invoice submitted by the institution
that is substantiated by the name of each student receiving
the scholarship, with the amount claimed for each student.
(f) Participating institutions shall enter into a
contract with the commission and agree to provide any records
to the commission upon request.
§36-21-223
The scholarship application by an eligible dependent
shall be submitted to the commission and include, but not be
limited to, the following:
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112 HB188 Engrossed
Page 5
limited to, the following:
(1) Documentation from the participating institution
that the applicant has been accepted for admission and is
enrolled as a student.
(2) A copy of a completed Free Application for Federal
Student Aid (FAFSA) submitted to the United States Department
of Education, or documentation from the participating
institution that the applicant has completed a FAFSA.
(3) Documentation, as determined by rules adopted by
the commission, that a spouse or parent is a qualifying law
enforcement officer.
(4) In the case of a dependent who is a current or
surviving spouse, a certified copy of the marriage certificate
to a qualifying law enforcement officer.
(5) In the case of a dependent who is a natural or
adoptive child, a certified copy of the birth certificate or
the decree of adoption showing the parental relationship to a
qualifying law enforcement officer.
(6) A signed Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
(FERPA) release form.
§36-21-224
(a) Approval for the scholarship shall be granted to an
eligible dependent upon submission of the documentation
required under Section 36-11-223 and shall continue for each
academic period for which the scholarship may be available as
provided in Section 36-11-222(a) on the following conditions:
(1) That the recipient complies with the Standards of
Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) as required for Title IV
benefits under the federal Higher Education Act and as defined
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140 HB188 Engrossed
Page 6
benefits under the federal Higher Education Act and as defined
by the participating institution for each academic period for
which the recipient is enrolled.
(2) That the recipient maintain his or her full-time
residency in the state.
(3) That the recipient completes the academic terms for
which the scholarship is available pursuant to Section
36-11-222(a) within 66 months of the approval of the
application, in the absence of a formal waiver of this
condition by the commission due to injury, illness, the
necessity of part-time enrollment, or some other extraordinary
circumstance.
(b) If the recipient's eligibility is based on spousal
status, eligibility shall end if the marriage to the
qualifying law enforcement officer is terminated by a decree
of divorce or, in the case of a recipient who is a surviving
spouse, remarriage.
(c) A recipient may maintain eligibility for the
scholarship while changing his or her approved postsecondary
program or transferring to another participating institution,
or both, only if the change or transfer is approved by the
appropriate participating institution no later than the
beginning of the fifth semester or the ninth quarter for which
the scholarship would be available.
§36-21-225
(a) The responsibilities of the commission include, but
may not be limited to, the following:
(1) Receive scholarship applications.
(2) Make determinations on scholarship eligibility.
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168 HB188 Engrossed
Page 7
(2) Make determinations on scholarship eligibility.
(3) Waive scholarship requirements as provided in this
article.
(4) Enter into and administer contracts with
participating institutions.
(5) Develop the necessary forms to administer the
program.
(6) Publicize the scholarship by written materials or
electronic means and accept donations.
(b) The commission is authorized to adopt rules to
implement, administer, and interpret the requirements of this
article.
§36-21-226
The commission shall report to the Legislature, by
January 1 of each year, all of the following:
(1) The number of applicants approved in the previous
fiscal year.
(2) The number of applicants approved as of the
reporting date of the current fiscal year.
(3) The number of recipients, by the number of
remaining academic terms for which they may be eligible for
the scholarship.
(4) The cost of the previous fiscal year's expenditures
to the program, arranged by each participating institution and
the number of recipients who are enrolled with each
participating institution.
(5) The number of recipients in the previous fiscal
year who completed an approved postsecondary program by being
awarded a certificate or a degree.
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196 HB188 Engrossed
Page 8
awarded a certificate or a degree.
§36-21-227
(a) The Alabama Law Enforcement Officers' Family
Scholarship Fund is created in the State Treasury. All monies
received by the commission pursuant to this article or
otherwise from any source permitted by this article shall be
deposited into the State Treasury to the credit of the fund.
Amounts deposited into the fund shall be budgeted and allotted
in accordance with Sections 41-4-80 through 41-4-96 and
Sections 41-19-1 through 41-19-12, Code of Alabama 1975.
(b) The commission may accept additional funding for
the Alabama Law Enforcement Officers' Family Scholarship
Program from public and private sources, including
appropriations, loans, federal gifts, grants, corporate
sponsorships, and individual donations.
(c) The commission shall ensure that proceeds received
from Section 2 shall be the first funds expended for the
program each fiscal year.
Section 2. (a) Notwithstanding Sections 32-6-64,
32-6-67, and 32-6-68, upon application to the judge of probate
or license commissioner, compliance with motor vehicle
registration and licensing laws, payment of regular fees
required by law for license plates for private passenger or
pleasure motor vehicles or motorcycles, and payment of an
additional annual fee of fifty dollars ($50), owners of motor
vehicles or motorcycles who are residents of Alabama shall
upon request be issued a personalized blackout license plate.
(b) The additional blackout license plate fee shall be
distributed in the following manner:
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224 HB188 Engrossed
Page 9
distributed in the following manner:
(1) Two and one-half percent commission, provided by
Section 40-12-269(a)(1).
(2) Manufacturing costs of one dollar and fifty cents
($1.50) to the Department of Corrections.
(3) Administrative costs of one dollar ($1) to the
Department of Revenue.
(4) The remainder of the additional fee shall be
deposited into the Alabama Law Enforcement Officers' Family
Scholarship Fund.
(c) The Commissioner of Revenue shall prescribe a
suitable plate design that includes a black background with
white text.
(d) The blackout plates shall be issued, printed, and
processed like other personalized plates provided for by law
and shall be furnished for the licensing year commencing
January 1, 2026.
(e) The Department of Revenue may adopt any rules
necessary to administer this section.
Section 3. This act shall become effective on October
1, 2025.
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244 HB188 Engrossed
Page 10
1, 2025.
House of Representatives
Read for the first time and referred
to the House of Representatives
committee on Ways and Means
Education
................05-Feb-25
Read for the second time and placed
on the calendar:
3 amendments
................12-Feb-25
Read for the third time and passed
as amended
Yeas 101
Nays 0
Abstains 0
................18-Feb-25
John Treadwell
Clerk
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266