HB153 Summary

• Creates the Alabama Veterans Resource Center as a public corporation managed by a board of directors to provide comprehensive support services to veterans and their families in Alabama, including benefits assistance, job placement, mental health programs, education and training, and family support.

• Establishes a board of 7 voting members: two appointed by the Governor, one each by the Speaker and President Pro Tempore of the Senate, one by the Lieutenant Governor as Chair of the Alabama Military Stability Commission, plus the Commissioners of Veterans Affairs (vice chair) and Mental Health and the Secretary of Workforce (chair) as ex officio members, all serving two-year terms.

• Grants the board broad powers to provide services, develop a hub-and-spoke operational model with regional offices through public-private partnerships, employ staff, enter contracts without competitive bidding requirements, and manage an Alabama Veterans Resource Center Fund created in the State Treasury.

• Exempts the board from Open Meetings Act requirements, eliminates ethics statement filing requirements for board members, and shields private entities partnering with the center from state ethics laws, competitive bidding laws, and public records laws.

• Becomes effective June 1, 2025, and can be dissolved by three-quarters board vote with property and funds reverting to the state.