# Alabama SB198: National Guard; legal services office and legal assistance program created Alabama SB198, National Guard; legal services office and legal assistance program created, is a 2025 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Sam Givhan (Republican); status enacted, last action 2025-04-08 (Enacted); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-16). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-SB198-2025rs - As of: 2026-10-16 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Alabama SB198 - State: Alabama - Session: 2025 Regular Session - Title: National Guard; legal services office and legal assistance program created - Status: enacted - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2025-02-25 - Last action: 2025-04-08, Enacted - Sponsor: Sam Givhan (Republican) - Cosponsors: 0 - Subjects: Military - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 4 (262 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 5 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Guard clients gain access to notaries: benefit, low. Beginning October 1, 2025, Guard lawyers and paralegals can notarize documents under the stated federal authority or applicable state qualifications. Guard lawyers also have notary powers outside duty status when performing their duties; paralegals can act while serving in their legal role. They ca… - Guard families get preventive legal guidance: benefit, low. Beginning October 1, 2025, the Guard must provide legal education and easy-to-find information for eligible clients. It must share at least one preventive-law publication each quarter and review and update online information at least quarterly. The program must identify unfair landlord and business… - Alabama Guard gets permanent legal support: benefit, low. Beginning October 1, 2025, a permanent joint office supports Alabama's Army and Air National Guard under the Adjutant General. Each service has a lead military lawyer; a central counsel office oversees military justice, contracts, finances, civil matters, operations, and legal assistance. Approved… - Free Guard legal help has limits: mixed, low. Beginning October 1, 2025, Alabama's National Guard Legal Assistance Program provides free help with personal legal matters. Eligible clients include Guard members, employees, dependents, and retirees entitled to or receiving military retirement pay, including temporary disability retirees. Survivi… - Guard lawyers face standards, get fee support: mixed, low. Beginning October 1, 2025, Guard lawyers providing legal assistance must maintain an Alabama bar license unless approved to use another state's license. Legal staff must meet professional standards and receive ongoing training, including privacy and ethics training for support staff. The program mu… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Sam Givhan (Republican), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-03-20 | House | Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 507 | pass | 103 | 0 | | | 2025-03-20 | House | Third Reading in Second House | pass | 103 | 0 | | | 2025-03-06 | Senate | Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 306 | pass | 28 | 0 | | | 2025-03-06 | Senate | Third Reading in House of Origin | pass | 28 | 0 | | ## Actions (17) - 2025-04-08: Enacted (Senate) - 2025-04-01: Signature Requested (House) - 2025-04-01: Delivered to Governor (Senate) - 2025-03-20: Third Reading in Second House (House) - 2025-03-20: Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 507 (House) - 2025-03-20: Ready to Enroll (Senate) - 2025-03-20: Enrolled (Senate) - 2025-03-19: Reported Out of Committee Second House (House) - 2025-03-19: Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar (House) - 2025-03-06: Third Reading in House of Origin (Senate) - 2025-03-06: Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 306 (Senate) - 2025-03-06: Read for the first time and referred to the House Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs (House) - 2025-03-06: Pending Committee Action in Second House (House) - 2025-02-27: Reported Out of Committee House of Origin (Senate) - 2025-02-27: Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar (Senate) - 2025-02-25: Read for the first time and referred to the Senate Committee on Veterans, Military Affairs and Public Safety (Senate) - 2025-02-25: Pending Committee Action in House of Origin (Senate) ## Bill text - As Introduced: [PDF](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2025RS/SB198-int.pdf) - Enrolled: [PDF](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2025RS/SB198-enr.pdf) ## Related bills - HB52: Income Taxes; to make technical changes to the funding provisions of the CHOOSE Act credits and increase funding, and to extend the sunset date for deductions… (enacted) - SB331: Barbour County, compensation of the judge of probate further provided for (enacted) - SB102: Medicaid; providing presumptive eligibility to pregnant women (enacted) - HB445: Cannabinoids found in hemp; licensure and regulation of sale of consumable cannabinoid products by Alcoholic Beverage Control Board imposed (enacted) - HB357: Tobacco products, heated tobacco product definition and tax provided for (enacted) - HB349: Russell County; sheriff, salary further provided (enacted) ## Sources - [As Introduced (PDF)](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2025RS/SB198-int.pdf) - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2025RS/SB198-enr.pdf) ## Related - [HB52: Income Taxes; to make technical changes to the funding provisions of the CHOOSE…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-HB52-2025rs) - [SB331: Barbour County, compensation of the judge of probate further provided for](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-SB331-2025rs) - [SB102: Medicaid; providing presumptive eligibility to pregnant women](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-SB102-2025rs) - [HB445: Cannabinoids found in hemp; licensure and regulation of sale of consumable cann…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-HB445-2025rs) - [HB357: Tobacco products, heated tobacco product definition and tax provided for](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-HB357-2025rs) - [HB349: Russell County; sheriff, salary further provided](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-HB349-2025rs) - [Alabama bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/alabama/bills) - [Alabama state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/alabama) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-SB198-2025rs (as of 2026-10-16).