HB513 Alabama 2011 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Blaine Galliher

Republican

Co-Sponsor

Becky Nordgren

Session

Regular Session 2011

Title

Mental Health Department, licensure for care or treatment for mental or emotional illness or intellectual disability, licensed professional counselor and a church or ministry providing religious services excepted, mental illness and substance abuse treatment defined, Secs. 22-50-1, 22-50-17 am'd. (2011-20665)

Summary

HB513 updates Alabama mental health law by defining key terms and creating exemptions for private-practice licensed professionals and churches, while keeping facility licensing requirements.

What This Bill Does

It adds definitions for terms like Mental Health Services and Mental Illness or Substance Abuse Treatment. It requires facilities that care for mental health, substance abuse, or intellectual disability to be certified or licensed, with exemptions for private-office treatment by certain professionals and for churches that provide only religious services. It allows physicians, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, licensed professional counselors operating within their license, and Christian Science practitioners to treat patients in private offices without a separate license, unless they have two or more patients in their office for continuous periods of 24 hours or more in a week.

Who It Affects

• Licensed professionals (physicians, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, licensed professional counselors) who treat patients in private offices and are exempt from getting an extra license unless patient load threshold is met.
• Churches or ministries that provide only religious services are exempt from certification/licensing for treatment.
• Operators of facilities or institutions for mental health, substance abuse, or intellectual disability must be certified or licensed to operate unless exempt.
• People receiving mental health, substance abuse, or intellectual disability services are affected indirectly through the licensure/certification framework and definitions.

Key Provisions

• Defines terms: Mental Health Services, Mental Retardation Intellectual Disability Services, Patients, Clients, Department, and Mental Illness or Substance Abuse Treatment.
• Exempts certain private-office treatment professionals from obtaining an additional license for treating patients in private practice (with a patient-load threshold).
• Exempts churches or ministries that provide only religious services from certification requirements.
• Requires facilities offering care for mental health, substance abuse, or intellectual disability to be certified by the department or licensed by the State Board of Health (with stated exemptions).
• Effective date: the act becomes law on the first day of the third month after passage.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Mental Health Department