MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Gov. Kay Ivey on Thursday, Feb. 27, signed Senate Bill 70, officially establishing the Alabama Veterans Resource Center to support the state’s “more than 400,000” veterans.
“Alabama’s veterans deserve our very best, and I look forward to the Alabama Veterans Resource Center being one more tool for those who have served,” Ivey said in a statement. “This legislation, along with Senate Bill 67 to restructure the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs, will help Alabama be the number one state for veterans.”
The Alabama Veterans Resource Center will operate as a public corporation governed by an 11-member board of directors. It will provide services such as benefits assistance, employment support and mental health resources.
The bill also establishes the Alabama Veterans Resource Center Fund within the State Treasury to finance its operations through legislative appropriations, grants, and donations.
In conjunction with Senate Bill 70, Ivey also highlighted Senate Bill 67, which would elevate the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs commissioner to a Cabinet-level position, granting direct oversight of daily operations.
The proposal has received backing from major veterans service organizations, including the Veterans of Foreign Wars, The American Legion, and American Veterans.
