House Bill 307 Alabama 2026 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Rick RehmRepresentative

Republican

Session

2026 Regular Session

Title

Military spouses; preference in hiring and promoting in state service further provided for; preference authorized for political subdivisions, private employers

Summary

HB307 adds military and military-spouse hiring preferences in state service, allows local governments and private employers to grant similar preferences, and creates a registry for voluntary private-employer policies, effective January 1, 2027.

What This Bill Does

It adds five-point ratings for veterans and spouses of veterans or active-duty members, and ten-point ratings for certain disability-related cases and surviving spouses, to state employment exams. It changes how preference claimants are ranked on employment lists, prioritizing those with military preferences. It lets counties, municipalities, and other political subdivisions grant hiring and promotion preferences for eligible veterans and spouses. It lets private employers adopt voluntary veterans' preference policies, requires notice to the Alabama Department of Workforce Development, and creates a public registry of participating employers. It takes effect January 1, 2027.

Who It Affects

• Veterans applying for Alabama state employment receive additional rating points (five points).
• Spouses of veterans or active-duty members receive additional rating points (five points for the spouse of an active-duty member; five points for the spouse of a veteran); some scenarios grant ten points (surviving spouses and spouses with service-connected disabilities).
• Local governments may grant hiring/promotion preferences for eligible veterans and spouses.
• Private employers may adopt voluntary veterans' preference policies and must notify the state; a public registry will list participating employers.
• Applicants for state or local government jobs are affected by how these preferences impact ranking and certification.

Key Provisions

• Amends Section 36-26-15 to add five-point preferences for veterans and spouses, and ten-point preferences in specific disability or survivor scenarios; defines active-duty member and veteran.
• Establishes ranking rules that place preference claimants ahead of non-preference candidates on employment registers and sets conditions for certification; outlines procedures when an appointing officer bypasses a veteran.
• Allows political subdivisions to grant hiring and promotion preferences for eligible veterans, spouses, and surviving spouses with the option to adopt implementing ordinances.
• Authorizes private employers to adopt voluntary veterans' preference policies; requires written policies, uniform application, and provision of DD Form 214 or equivalent proof; time-limited preference for spouses of active-duty members.
• Requires private employers to notify the Alabama Department of Workforce Development, which must maintain a public registry of participating employers and provide a submission page on its website; act becomes effective January 1, 2027.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano-2025-08-07 on Mar 3, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Military