HB169 Summary

• Establishes a program through the Alabama Commission on Higher Education that guarantees utility deposits for recent college graduates who secure full-time employment in Alabama within 60 months of graduation and establish a new residence.

• Eligible participants receive vouchers exempting them from paying security deposits to utilities for electricity, natural gas, water, sewage, and trash collection services.

• Program recipients remain responsible for paying all utility bills in full; the program only covers the initial deposit requirement, not ongoing bill payments.

• If a recipient defaults on a utility payment, the state reimburses the utility but stops issuing future vouchers for that service type, though vouchers remain valid with utilities where the recipient maintains good standing.

• The Alabama Commission on Higher Education may collect from defaulting recipients using tax refund withholding, wage garnishment, property liens, or debt collection agencies, with up to 7.5% of appropriated funds retained for administration.