HB153 Alabama 2025 Session

Updated Feb 22, 2026

High Interest

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Ed OliverRepresentative
Republican
Session: 2025 Regular Session
Title: Alabama Veterans Resource Center, center and board created to assist veterans and families transition to civilian life; duties and powers of board provided
Summary: HB153 would create the Alabama Veterans Resource Center as a public corporation run by a dedicated board to provide a coordinated, statewide system of support for veterans and their families, with authority to form public-private partnerships.
What This Bill Does
It establishes the Alabama Veterans Resource Center as a public corporation and sets up a board of directors to manage it. It designates a hub-and-spoke model with a central office and regional offices to deliver services such as benefits access, career help, mental health support, education, and family services. It authorizes the center to enter into public-private partnerships, manage finances, hire staff, and accept funding from public and private sources, creating a dedicated fund in the State Treasury to support its activities.

Who It Affects
Veterans and their families in Alabama, who would receive a centralized, coordinated set of services and supports across benefits, employment, mental health, education, and family assistance.
State government and private partners, including the Governor, Lt. Governor, Speaker, President Pro Tempore, and various state agencies, who would participate on the board and in public-private partnerships to operate and fund the center.

Key Provisions
Creates the Alabama Veterans Resource Center as a public corporation separate from the state, to be managed by a board of directors.
Board composition includes two Governor appointees, one appointee each from the Speaker and President Pro Tempore of the Senate, one appointee from the Lieutenant Governor (as Chair of the Alabama Military Stability Commission), and ex officio members: Commissioner of Veterans Affairs (vice chair), Commissioner of Mental Health, and Secretary of Workforce (chair).
Board members are all voting members; terms are two years, with a maximum of two consecutive terms, and vacancies may be filled by the appointing authority; members may be removed by their appointing authority.
Ex officio members may designate representatives; designated persons count toward quorum and voting; no compensation for board service, but travel reimbursement is allowed.
Board has broad powers to carry out the act, including providing comprehensive veteran services, developing a strategic plan, hiring staff, creating committees, contracting, and using a hub-and-spoke model with regional offices and an online portal.
Center may enter into contracts, leases, and public-private partnerships; may accept appropriations, loans, gifts, and grants; funds go into the Alabama Veterans Resource Center Fund in the State Treasury.
Center is not subject to open meetings or state ethics requirements in the same way as other state entities, but board members are still subject to state ethics laws; center itself is not a state business for ethics purposes.
Public-private partnerships may be entered into and renewed annually; the center can work with nonprofit and other entities to support its mission.
Dissolution requires a three-quarters vote; upon dissolution, the center ceases to exist, property goes to the state, and funds are distributed per board guidance.
Effective date is June 1, 2025.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.
Subjects: Military