House Bill 377 Alabama 2026 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Frances Holk-JonesRepresentative

Republican

Session

2026 Regular Session

Title

Military; graduate medical field courses added to educational benefits provided to eligible dependents of certain veterans, tuition cost limited

Summary

HB377 would expand Alabama's GI and Dependents Educational Benefit Act to cover graduate medical field courses for eligible dependents while tightening tuition limits and clarifying program rules.

What This Bill Does

The bill expands benefits to include graduate courses in a medical field for eligible children, spouses, and widows of certain veterans, with the expansion set to take effect around July 31, 2026 (and the act itself becoming effective January 1, 2028). It maintains existing limits such as benefits not exceeding the in-state tuition rate and, for qualifying private schools, tuition reimbursements up to $400 per semester hour and $1,000 per semester for books/fees. It also preserves time limits and change-of-program rules for beneficiaries (e.g., up to 5 academic years/45 months for children, up to 27 months/45 months for spouses/widows, with a six-year completion window and one allowed program change) and adds disability-based eligibility paths for dependents of veterans with specific rating levels (40–90% service-connected or death with 40%+ disability).

Who It Affects

• Children of eligible veterans (deceased, disabled, missing in action, or POW) who would gain access to graduate medical field courses under the act and remain subject to existing tuition cap rules.
• Spouses and widows of eligible veterans (including those with service-connected disabilities) and dependents of veterans with certain disability ratings, who would receive training benefits with time limits, tuition/books reimbursements, and remarriage protections.

Key Provisions

• Graduate medical field courses added to benefits for eligible dependents, with expansion to take effect starting July 31, 2026 (subject to the act's January 1, 2028 effective date).
• Tuition and books/fees reimbursement caps maintained for private schools ($400 per semester hour for tuition; $1,000 per semester for books/fees) and in-state tuition limits applied to all qualifying students.
• Time limits and program-change rules: children may use up to 5 standard academic years (45 months); spouses/widows may use up to 27 months (45 months part-time); one program change allowed; training must be completed within specified windows (six years for spouses; eight years in some sections) with remarriage potentially affecting coverage.
• Disability-based eligibility paths added for dependents of veterans with 40–90% service-connected disability or for a veteran's widow/children where death was disability-related, including deadlines and qualification provisions.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 12, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Military