HB269 Alabama 2018 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

April WeaverSenator

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2018

Title

Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy Patient Safety Act, Alabama Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy Bd created, licensing of limited x-ray machine operators, magnetic resonance technologist, nuclear medicine technologist, radiation therapist, radiographer, and radiologist assistants, provided

Summary

HB 269 would create the Alabama Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy Board to license and regulate imaging and radiation therapy professionals to protect patient safety.

What This Bill Does

It establishes a new board to regulate and license multiple medical imaging and radiation therapy professions, sets education and competency standards, and gives the board authority to discipline licensees. Beginning in 2020, only licensed individuals may perform imaging or therapy procedures, and the board will establish licensure requirements, exams, continuing education, and scope of practice by modality. It also creates a dedicated board fund, defines permitted activities and supervision rules for each modality (including radiologist assistants), and provides for temporary licenses, program approval, and enforcement procedures including penalties for violations.

Who It Affects

• Medical imaging and radiation therapy professionals and students who must obtain licensure, meet education/certification requirements, maintain continuing education, and practice within defined supervision rules.
• Hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare employers who must verify licenses, supervise certain roles, implement approved clinical protocols, support staff training, and comply with the board's disciplinary and fee framework.

Key Provisions

• Creates the Alabama Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy Board and lists its required members (including licensed operators, technologists, radiographers, radiologist assistants, licensed radiologists, a non-radiologist supervisor, and a public member) appointed by the Governor.
• Sets licensure requirements for all modalities, allowing board recognition of national certifications to satisfy exam and schooling requirements; licenses may cover more than one modality if qualified.
• Establishes permits and scope of practice for limited X-ray machine operators with specific anatomical-area permits (chest, extremities, spine, skull-sinus, podiatric, and bone densitometry) and defines additional modality rules for CT, MRI, and fluoroscopy under supervision.
• Creates radiologist assistant licensure with protocols approved by supervising radiologists; prohibits image interpretation or prescribing treatment by radiologist assistants; requires biannual protocol updates.
• Imposes education program standards; requires board-approved programs to be affiliated with hospitals or clinics for clinical education; standards align with recognized accrediting bodies.
• Requires licenses to be renewed every two years with continuing education; allows temporary licenses for underserved areas or pending certification; provides reciprocity for substantially equivalent standards.
• Empowers the board to deny, suspend, revoke, or place licenses on probation; imposes civil penalties, allows injunctions, and designates violations as Class C misdemeanors; costs may be recovered by the board.
• Creates the Alabama Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy Board Fund; funds come from board receipts and are used only for implementing the act; fees are established by the board.
• Includes exemptions for licensed practitioners, dental professionals, students under supervision, U.S. government personnel, and nonhuman subjects; outlines sunset provisions under the state's Sunset Law and an effective date after passage.
• Notes a constitutional local-funding provision related to expenditures but states the act is exempt from those requirements because of its crime-related provisions.

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

Subjects

Boards and Commissions