Latest news with #SB70
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Alabama veterans mental health plan focuses on crisis care, treatment access
Kimberly Boswell, commissioner of the Alabama Department of Mental Health, chairs the Veterans Mental Health Steering Committee on March 26, 2025 in Montgomery, Alabama. (Alander Rocha/Alabama Reflector) State officials Wednesday agreed to recommend expanded services, new prevention programs and stronger partnerships between state agencies to improve mental health care and crisis intervention for Alabama veterans. The recommendations, presented Wednesday during an Alabama Veterans Mental Health Steering Committee meeting in Montgomery, focused on four primary goals: suicide prevention; enhancing crisis care and care transitions; increasing access to treatment, and addressing risk factors that contribute to mental health issues among veterans. '[We're] really trying to figure out, based on all the data and documents we've produced, where the gaps in services, and how can we best build those gaps,' said Alabama Department of Mental Health Commissioner Kimberly Boswell, who chairs the committee. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Alabama's veterans experienced suicide at a rate of 35.4 per 100,000 in 2021, exceeding both the national veteran average and the state's general population rate. A significant number of Alabamians, including veterans, suffer from traumatic brain injuries (TBI), a condition linked to increased mental health challenges. Research indicates veterans in Alabama face higher rates of mental illness and substance abuse compared to their non-veteran counterparts. The committee recommended establishing an Alabama Veterans Resources Center (AVRC), a partnership between the state and Alabama Power designed to serve as a centralized hub for veterans' services. SB 70, sponsored by Sen. Andrew Jones, R-Centre, which provides for its creation, was signed by Gov. Kay Ivey in February. 'We're very, very excited about that Veterans Resource Center and looking forward to getting it up and running,' Boswell said. The committee also recommended expanding programs for traumatic brain injuries, citing a $2.5 million allocation in the state's Education Trust Fund budget. The funding would allow veterans with TBIs to receive care beyond the current two-year post-injury eligibility limit. 'The combination of traumatic brain injury and substance use disorder put veterans at the greatest risk of suicide, and addressing TBI is a really important goal of the group,' Boswell said. Another recommendation is to implement the Storing Ammunition and Firearms to Enhance Resilience (SAFER) Together Program, an initiative promoting secure firearm and ammunition storage to reduce suicide risk. SB 40, sponsored by Sen. Keith Kelley, R-Anniston, which would allow people experiencing suicidal thoughts to surrender a firearm to a licensed gun dealer, passed the Senate in February and is in position to be voted on in the House. The committee also called for a formal partnership between the Alabama Department of Mental Health and the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs to improve coordination of behavioral health services as well as organizing a summit on veterans' mental health to focus on improving awareness and education among service providers. 'We're really excited about the partnership with ADVA and really working together to figure out how to truly address the behavioral health needs of veterans,' Boswell said. 'They're kind of the expert on the veterans and we're kind of the expert on behavioral health, and we really feel very strongly about that partnership.' The committee will finalize a final draft Friday to present to the Legislature and Gov. Kay Ivey. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Governor signs bills cutting and adding to education-related funding
South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden speaks to attendees at an event in Sioux Falls on Mar. 17, 2025. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight) South Dakota Republican Gov. Larry Rhoden signed four bills Wednesday that reduce education funding in some areas and increase it in others. The cuts are in HB 1040, which reduces the state subsidy for high-schoolers taking dual enrollment courses for college credit, and HB 1039, which bars new enrollments in a program that pays teachers and school counselors a stipend for becoming nationally board certified. Both measures were among numerous budget-cutting ideas considered by lawmakers during the legislative session. Visit South Dakota Searchlight's 2025 South Dakota Legislature page. The dual enrollment cut will shift the cost-share for the program to a 50-50 split with students. Currently, the state pays two-thirds of the $150 per credit-hour cost, which is a reduced rate compared to regular university tuition. Students and families currently pay about $50 per credit hour. They'll experience a price hike to $75 per credit hour, saving the state — and costing families — about $1.2 million annually. The teacher certification measure will continue to aid teachers already in the program, but will end new enrollments. The program pays up to a $2,000 stipend annually. The bills adding money for education are HB 1114, which appropriates $4 million for the state's technical colleges to purchase equipment, and SB 70, which increases sparsity payments to local school districts. Schools that have costs associated with an especially large and sparsely populated district will be able to receive extra state funding payments up to $137,000 per year, instead of the prior cap of $110,000. Rhoden has signed 146 bills and vetoed one from the legislative session so far, which is over except for a day on March 31 for the Legislature to consider his vetoes.
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
What passed in the Alabama Legislature: Feb. 18-20, 2025
Big Al, the mascot for the University of Alabama, dances before a rally for higher education funding at the Alabama Statehouse on Feb. 20, 2025 in Montgomery, Alabama. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector) Here is a list of bills that passed in the Alabama Legislature this week, the third of the 2025 regular session. House HB 210, sponsored by Rep. Randy Wood, R-Anniston, would increase Calhoun County's coroner's base salary to $54,570 starting in 2027 and raises the salaries of assistant coroners from $4,800 to $6,100. The bill passed 32-0. Itl goes to the Senate. HB 213, sponsored by Rep. Mark Gidley, R-Hokes Bluff, would allow the Calhoun County Commission to pay members of its board of registrars members $15 per day the commission meets and conducts business. The bill passed 18-0. It goes to the Senate. HB 215, sponsored by Rep. Chad Robertson, R-Heflin, would increase the base salary for the Calhoun County Sheriff to $114,290 without expense compensation starting in 2027. The bill passed 15-1. It goes to the Senate. HB 188, sponsored by Rep. Allen Treadaway, R-Morris, would allow dependents and spouses of Alabama law enforcement to claim a $3,000 scholarship for post-secondary education. The bill passed 101-0. The bill goes to the Senate. HB 199, sponsored by Rep. Travis Hendrix, D-Birmingham, would allow the Board of Pardons and Parole to electronically monitor a juvenile delinquent before their court hearing. The bill passed 101-0. It goes to the Senate. SB 70, sponsored by Sen. Andrew Jones, R-Centre, creates a Veterans Resource Center as a public entity with a corresponding board of directors. The bill passed 101-0. It goes to Gov. Kay Ivey. HB 216, sponsored by Rep. Russell Bedsole, R-Alabaster, creates civil liability protections for gun dealers participating in a voluntary firearm surrender program. The bill passed 98-2. It goes to the Senate. HB 164, sponsored by Rep. David Faulkner, R-Mountain Brook, would raise the threshold for small estates for surviving spouses from $25,000 to $47,000. The bill passed 100-0. It goes to the Senate. HB 137, sponsored by Rep. Rex Reynolds, R-Huntsville, would allow the Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency to have a language interpreter to monitor wiretapping. The bill passed 97-0. It goes to the Senate. HB 92, sponsored by Rep. Chip Brown, R-Hollingers Island, would create the Alabama Seagrass Restoration Task Force, responsible for studying Alabama's marine waters and addressing the loss of seagrass and its ecological and economical impacts. The bill passed 101-0. It goes to the Senate. HB 9, sponsored by Rep. Leigh Hulsey, R-Helena, would ban the three-cueing method of teaching reading. It passed 100-0. The bill goes to the Senate. HB 134, sponsored by Rep. Reed Ingram, R-Pike Road, would allow fees and fines collected from vehicles parked without a license plate to go to the employing agency of the officer issuing the ticket. The bill passed 101-0. It goes to the Senate. HB 140, sponsored by Rep. Arnold Mooney, R-Birmingham, would allow privately owned sewer and wastewater systems to choose to be in the jurisdiction of the Public Service Commission. The bill passed 100-0. It goes to the Senate. Senate SB 67, sponsored by Sen. Andrew Jones, R-Centre, would make the commissioner of the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs an appointed position by the governor and make the board an advisory body. The bill passed 21-9. It goes to the House. SB 76, sponsored by Sen. April Weaver, R-Alabaster, would exempt nursing mothers from jury service. The bill passed 31-0. It goes to the House. SB 64, sponsored by Sen. Steve Livingston, R-Scottsboro, would make removing, cutting, trimming, severing, or uprooting aquatic plants from public waters a Class C misdemeanor with a fine of at least $500. The bill passed 31-0. It goes to the House. SB 104, sponsored by Sen. Robert Stewart, D-Selma, would increase membership of the Alabama Job Creation and Military Stability Commission to include the chairs of the Alabama House Military and Veterans Affairs Committee and the Alabama Senate Veterans, Military Affairs, and Public Safety Committee. It passed 32-0. It goes to the House. SB 95, sponsored by Sen. Donnie Chesteen, R-Geneva, would allow Alabama Municipal Electric Authority board members to be paid up to $1,750 monthly and up to $2,000 for the chair. Currently, members may be compensated up to $600 if the board unanimously agrees. It passed 32-0. It goes to the House. SB 60, sponsored by Sen. Greg Albritton, R-Atmore, would increase the state's borrowing power for prison projects by $500 million, to approximately $1.28 billion. It passed 32-0. It goes to the House. SB 1, sponsored by Sen. Sam Givhan, R-Huntsville, would provide compensation benefits to full-time public education employees who are injured on the job. The bill passed 32-0. It goes to the House. SB 42, sponsored by Sen. Tim Melson, R-Florence, would allow abandoned roads constructed on a right-of-way to be deeded by an appropriate governing body to the original landowner. It passed 32-0. It goes to the House. House HB 211, sponsored by Rep. Randy Wood, R-Anniston, would allow the Calhoun County Commission to regulate halfway houses and similar facilities. The bill passed 24-0. It goes to the Senate. HB 200, sponsored by Rep. Cynthia Almond, R-Tuscaloosa, makes technical changes to the Business and Nonprofit Entities Code and codifies electronic filing practices. The bill passed 101-0. It goes to the Senate. HB 123, sponsored by Rep. Kerry Underwood, R-Tuscumbia, extends the term of the Alabama State Board of Pharmacy to Oct. 1, 2026; changes the appointment of members of the board and the board's sanctioning powers. The bill passed 101-0. It goes to the Senate. HB 35, sponsored by Rep. Russell Bedsole, R-Alabaster, would extend first responder death benefit to volunteer firefighters. It passed 102-0. The bill goes to the Senate. HB 141, sponsored by Rep. Kenyatté Hassell, D-Hassell, would allow state employees to deduct from their salary for household items, like a washing machine, pre-tax. The bill passed 81-19. It goes to the Senate. Senate HB 76, sponsored by Rep. Bryan Brinyark, R-Windham Springs, would allow the Fayette County Sheriff's Office to establish procedures for using a credit card for official purposes. The bill passed 29-0. It goes to Gov. Kay Ivey. SB 139, sponsored by Sen. Steve Livingston, R-Scottsboro, extends the terms of offices for the Scottsboro mayor and certain members of the city council and school board members by one year. The bill extends the term of office for city council members and city board of education members whose terms set expire in 2026 to 2027; the mayor and council members with terms set to expire in 2028 to 2029, and board of education members whose terms are scheduled to expire in 2028 or 2030 to 2029 and 2031, respectively. The bill passed 29-0. It goes to the House. SB 162, sponsored by Sen. Wes Kitchens, R-Arab, sets minimum distribution amounts of in-lieu-of-taxes payments of the Tennessee Valley Authority to the Marshall County Legislative Delegation office; the Marshall County Economic Development Office; Snead Community College, and ambulance service in the city of Boaz. It passed 30-0. It goes to the House. SB 25, sponsored by Sen. Garlan Gudger, R-Cullman, would require tax proceeds from alcohol sales in community development districts to be awarded as grants based on the recommendation of each legislator representing a portion of the county. The bill passed 30-0. It goes to the House. SB 54, sponsored by Sen. Dan Roberts, R-Mountain Brook, would add communications service facilities to the definition of 'critical infrastructure facility.' The bill passed 31-0. It goes to the House. SB 80, sponsored by Sen. Tom Butler, R-Madison, would change the name of the Alabama Local Government Training Institute to the Buddy Sharpless Education Institute. The bill passed 31-0. It goes to the House. SB 115, sponsored by Sen. Clyde Chambliss, R-Prattville, makes accepting a job as a law enforcement officer a crime of impersonating a peace officer if the person accepting the job knows they are disqualified or if they know their certification with the Alabama Peace Officers' Standards and Training (APOST) commission has been revoked or suspended. The bill passed 31-0. It goes to the House. SB 102, sponsored by Sen. Linda Coleman-Madison, D-Birmingham, would provide presumptive Medicaid coverage for up to 60 days to pregnant people before their application for the program is formally approved. The bill passed 31-0. It goes to the House. SB 40, sponsored by Sen. Keith Kelley, R-Anniston, would provide liability protection for Federal Firearms License dealers who choose to participate in the Safer Together Program, where they may accept surrendered firearms from community bill passed 31-0. It goes to the House. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
