The bill amends the Alabama G.I. and Dependents Educational Benefit Act by updating several sections of the Code of Alabama 1975, specifically Sections 31-6-4, 31-6-5, 31-6-6, and 31-6-11. A significant change is the removal of the Department of Defense tuition assistance cap, which is replaced with a new tuition cap of four hundred dollars ($400) per semester hour for educational benefits. This adjustment applies to both children and spouses of veterans who qualify for educational benefits under the act, while maintaining the existing reimbursement limits for books and fees at one thousand dollars ($1,000) per student per semester. The bill also clarifies eligibility criteria for dependents of veterans with service-connected disabilities, allowing those with a disability rating of at least 20 percent but less than 40 percent to qualify for benefits if they apply before July 31, 2023. Additionally, the bill modifies eligibility requirements for the spouses, widows, and children of disabled or deceased veterans by removing the term "serviceman" and specifying that proof of the veteran's residency in Alabama must be established for at least one year prior to their service or five years prior to the application if they are totally and permanently disabled. It also clarifies that the veteran must have been a permanent resident for at least two years before applying for benefits or have filed an Alabama income tax return as a resident for the previous ten years. The bill allows the State Department of Veterans' Affairs to request Alabama income tax return information from the Department of Revenue to verify residency requirements. The new educational benefits limits apply to those applying on or after July 31, 2017, and attending qualifying private schools, with the act set to take effect on July 31, 2024.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 31-6-15