The state Senate has approved of legislation that will allow 18-year-old military service members to open their own bank accounts and take out loans.
The bill is important for young Alabamians in the military, as state law requires residents under 19 years old to have a guardian as a co-signer or apply for loans separate from education, and was approved 33 to 0.
The bill was created by Sen. Andrew Jones, R-Centre.
“The problem with the current law is that you have 18-year old men and women who have joined the Marines or another military branch,” Jones said. “They have established themselves as adults — some of them are serving in Afghanistan and other war zones, and yet we are going to require their parent’s permission for them to open a bank account? That doesn’t make sense. The young men and women who have stepped forward to serve their county in the U.S. Military are adults, and the law is going to reflect that, once this measure passes the House of Representatives.”
Now the bill goes to the Alabama House of Representatives, and if passed, young men and women in the military would be able to apply for loans and open bank accounts without the required guardianship.
“The reality is we need to encourage more young people to step forward into the responsibilities of adulthood,” Jones said. “If an 18-year-old volunteers to serve in the military, they are demonstrating maturity by committing to a noble cause that is larger than themselves. We already trust them to vote — we should trust them to start charting their own financial future.”
