HB92 Alabama 2019 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Randall Shedd

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2019

Title

Professional licensing Boards, self-sustaining, bds, agencies, and commissions exempted from publishing expenditures through Comptroller website, required to post expenditures on bd, agency, or commission website, Sec. 41-4-65 am'd.

Summary

HB 92 would require self-sustaining licensing boards to publicly post expenditures, create a Sunrise Act to review new regulations, and bar most fines against consumers by licensing boards.

What This Bill Does

Requires self-sustaining professional licensing boards to publish expenditure data either in the Comptroller's online database or on their own public website, with an annual option and required data details. Creates the Alabama Sunrise Act, directing the Sunset Committee to review proposals for regulating additional professions and to assess necessity and cost-effectiveness to protect public health, safety, or welfare. Adds new definitions and provisions (Chapter 9A) and restricts licensing boards from imposing monetary fines on consumers starting January 1, 2020, with certain exceptions for unlicensed practice or false licensing information; establishes confidentiality processes for sensitive data.

Who It Affects

• Self-sustaining professional licensing boards (e.g., boards that fund themselves) will be required to publish expenditure information publicly and choose where to post it (Comptroller database or board website) each year.
• Consumers and businesses regulated by licensing boards will gain greater transparency about board expenditures and will be largely protected from monetary fines by boards, except for prohibitions against unlicensed practice or knowingly presenting false information to obtain a license.

Key Provisions

• Amends 41-4-65 to require self-sustaining licensing boards to post expenditure information either in the Comptroller's public online database or on the board's public website, with annual choice and public-minutes recording.
• Expenditure data must include amount, date, payor, payee, and a detailed object of expense, with searchable and graphically enhanced presentation; payee addresses are largely restricted from public disclosure, with county location allowed; confidentiality decisions follow a due-process-like process with a hearing.
• Creates the Alabama Sunrise Act (Section 41-20-4.1) requiring the Sunset Committee to review proposals to regulate new professions or occupations, assessing necessity, cost-effectiveness, and public protection, and to consider a range of information before recommending regulation.
• Adds Chapter 9A (beginning with Section 41-9A-1) defining terms such as consumer, license, and occupational licensing board; prohibits any occupational licensing board from assessing monetary fines or penalties against a consumer starting January 1, 2020 (with exceptions for unlicensed practice or false information).
• Section 2 requires boards to publish expenditures annually either on the Comptroller’s database or on their own site, with specified data elements and public-access rules, including linkages to public homepages and no public fees.
• Section 3 establishes the Sunrise process, outlining Sunset Committee duties, required information from proponents of regulation, and considerations for less restrictive or more cost-effective regulatory alternatives.
• Section 4 adds definitions and clarifies the consumer protection provisions, including the prohibition on fines against consumers and the limited exceptions for unlicensed practice or false license actions.

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

Subjects

Professional Licensing Boards