On Wednesday, the Alabama Legislature granted final approval for legislation establishing a scholarship program for children and spouses of long-serving law enforcement officers.
Sponsored by State Rep. Allen Treadaway (R-Morris), the Alabama Law Enforcement Officers' Family Scholarship Act, or HB98, will provide up to $2,500 in tuition assistance per academic period that can be used at participating public or private institutions in Alabama and covers tuition, required fees, and educational materials, after other aid is applied.
"People tend to forget that behind every badge is a family that depends on the man or woman who wears it," said Treadaway. "For 31 years, I served as a police officer and witnessed every day the sacrifices my family made to support me and the safety of our community."
"This is the reality for every law enforcement family, and I firmly believe this legislation is a well-deserved and long overdue thank you to these spouses and children," he concluded.
Treadaway's bill was "championed" by Governor Kay Ivey and House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter (R-Rainsville) for two legislative sessions.
"Our law enforcement put it all on the line every day they go to work, and so do their families," Ivey said. "I am proud we will support long-serving law enforcement families through dependent scholarships. I look forward to signing HB98 into law, and I thank Speaker Ledbetter for making this a priority."
"The passage of HB 98 is a long-overdue show of thanks for Alabama's law enforcement officers and the families supporting them as they work to protect and serve this great state," Ledbetter explained. "Over the course of the last two sessions, the men and women of the House have led the charge in delivering additional resources and support to law enforcement in an effort to bolster public safety. It is one thing to say your state is pro-law enforcement, but it is another to put action behind those words. Today, Alabama did exactly that."
The scholarship program will be administered by the Alabama Commission on Higher Education, with annual reporting to ensure accountability and transparency. The bill also establishes a distinctive blackout license plate, with proceeds supporting the scholarship fund.
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