• Effective January 1, 2027, private employers in Alabama may voluntarily adopt written hiring and promotion preference policies for veterans, spouses of veterans, and spouses of active-duty service members.
• Employers that implement such policies must notify the Alabama Department of Workforce.
• The Alabama law’s definitions of veterans and active-duty service members may be narrower than those under USERRA.

HB 307

On April 16, 2026, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey signed into law House Bill (HB) 307, Act No 2026-574, titled, “Expanding Employment Opportunities for Military Families in Alabama,” along with a broader package of legislation intended to assist military families. HB 307 replaces former Alabama Code Section 36-226-15 and takes effect on January 1, 2027.

While the new law primarily applies to access to state employment for uniformed service personnel, Section 3 of the law permits private employers to adopt voluntary hiring preference policies for veterans, spouses of veterans, and spouses of active-duty service members.

Any such voluntary policy must be in writing and uniformly applied to the hiring and promotion decisions of the employer. HB 307 also provides that any such policy will apply to veterans who can provide proof of service and honorable discharge via DD 214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty) forms, spouses of veterans who can provide relevant DD 214s and proof of marriage to eligible veterans, and spouses of active-duty service members...

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