§31-12A-4. Extension of licensing for military service members.

(a) Notwithstanding any other statute to the contrary, except as provided in subsection (c), any member of the Armed Forces of the United States shall be left in good standing until, at a minimum, December 31, of the first year following the end of his or her deployment, by the administrative or licensing body with which he or she is licensed or certified, while deployed, if at the time of deployment, the member was in good standing with the branch of the armed services and with the administrative licensing body.

(b) While a licensee or certificate holder is deployed as a member of the Armed Forces of the United States, the license or certificate referenced in subsection (a) shall be renewed without:

(1) The payment of dues or fees;

(2) Obtaining continuing education credits when:

a. Circumstances associated with military duty prevent obtaining training and a waiver request has been submitted to the appropriate administrative body; or

b. The military member performs the licensed or certified occupation as part of his or her military duties as annotated in Defense Department form 214 (DD214); or

(3) Performing any other act typically required for the renewal of the license or certificate.

(c) Notwithstanding subsections (a) and (b), the licensing board, in its discretion, may require that the licensee receive additional credits within the year following the end of the deployment.

(d) Licensees of the Alabama State Bar are regulated by the Alabama Supreme Court and are therefore exempt from this section. The court may provide waivers and exemptions for active duty and deployed military members.

(Act 2013-350, p. 1255, §4.)