House creates scholarship for dependents of long‑service law officers; $10 million initial funding included

House members on Thursday approved House Bill 188, establishing the Alabama Law Enforcement Officers Family Scholarship to provide tuition assistance to eligible dependents of long‑service law enforcement officers.

Supporters said the program is aimed at improving recruitment and retention in law enforcement by offering education benefits to families. The measure designates the Alabama Commission on Higher Education to administer the scholarship and limits benefits to undergraduate programs and participating public technical schools, colleges and universities in Alabama.

Representative Alan Treadaway, the bill’s sponsor, said the program would cover up to eight semesters or 12 quarters and grant $3,000 per academic period as a scholarship secondary to other financial aid. “All you have to do to be qualified is be a law enforcement officer with seven years or more at the same department or 12 years if you have been employed by multiple departments,” Treadaway said on the House floor, describing eligibility and funding sources.

Treadaway noted the bill includes two funding streams: a $10 million appropriation from the Education Trust Fund (ETF) and a committee amendment that added a memorial or “distinguished” specialty vehicle tag to generate ongoing revenue for the scholarship fund. Committee members also made technical language changes and corrected the semester-to-quarter conversion in the statute.

The House adopted a committee substitute and an amendment that clarified that dependents already eligible for the state’s police‑officer survivor education assistance under existing law would not be eligible for this scholarship, and it shortened the previously proposed maximum quarter total from 16 to 12. After debate and the adopted tweaks, the House voted to pass the bill. A subsequent clerical call recorded the final passage vote and the bill advanced with broad support.

The bill drew floor recognition and emotion from multiple members thanking law enforcement and describing community impacts; a formal roll call followed committee action and amendment adoption. Treadaway later requested cosponsors and reported 96 legislators had signed on to the measure.

HB 188 now moves to the Senate for consideration. The bill’s text designates administrative responsibility to the Alabama Commission on Higher Education and identifies the Education Trust Fund appropriation and specialty tag as revenue sources; detailed implementation rules and allocation mechanics will be determined during administration and appropriation processes.

Votes at the House floor recorded the committee substitute and amendment adoptions and the final passage as reflected in the House journal.