SB293 Alabama 2019 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Tim MelsonSenator

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2019

Title

Health care, requires health care practitioners to include information about licensure in advertising and in other communications with patients

Summary

Requires health care practitioners in Alabama to include their licensure information in advertising and to clearly communicate their licensure to patients.

What This Bill Does

If passed, the bill would require practitioners to identify their license type in any advertising and to conspicuously post and communicate their licensure to current and prospective patients. Compliance options include wearing a visible name tag or clothing showing the license type, or displaying a reception-area notice and website listing with each practitioner's name and license type (notice must be at least 93 square inches with 1-inch letters). There are exceptions where badges may not be required (e.g., certain mental health, sterile, or operating room settings), and boards must establish rules and penalties for violations; the law becomes effective a few months after passage.

Who It Affects

• Health care practitioners (doctors, nurses, therapists, and others who provide patient care) must display and communicate their licensure information to patients.
• Patients and prospective patients will see licensure information and can inquire about a practitioner's license.

Key Provisions

• Advertising for health care services must identify the practitioner's license type and be free from deceptive or misleading information.
• Practitioners must conspicuously post and affirmatively communicate their specific licensure to patients, either by wearing a visible identification tag/clothing that shows the license type or by displaying a notice in the office and on the practice's website listing each practitioner and their license type; the notice must be at least 93 square inches with 1-inch characters and include the right to inquire about license type.
• Exceptions allow not requiring an immediate replacement of existing identification badges in certain settings (e.g., mental health where it would impede care, operating rooms, or other sterile environments).
• Boards and agencies issuing licenses must adopt rules and penalties for violations of the act.
• The act becomes effective on the first day of the third month after its 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

Health Care