HB498 Alabama 2021 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Terri CollinsRepresentative

Republican

Co-Sponsor

Alan Baker

Session

Regular Session 2021

Title

Alabama Credential Quality and Transparency Act and Workforce Council Committee on Credential Quality and Transparency created, legislative findings, free database of searchable online info re educational and occupational credentials and competencies provided, Secs. 41-29-350 to 41-29-357 added.

Summary

HB498 creates a public, searchable Alabama Credential Registry and a governing committee to standardize and publish open data on credentials and competencies.

What This Bill Does

It establishes the Alabama Credential Quality and Transparency Act, creating the Alabama Credential Registry and the Alabama Occupational Ontology to store and code credentials and competencies. It creates the Alabama Workforce Council Committee on Credential Quality and Transparency to oversee the data, publish a compendium of valuable credentials, and assign alpha-numeric codes to credentials and competencies. It requires full, free, open, public, interoperable data about all credentials and competencies in open formats, with no personally identifiable information, and coordinates data requirements through a credential transparency advisory group with multiple state agencies. It also sets timelines and alignment rules, including registering Perkins/WIOA credentials by Jan 1, 2022 and ensuring all data meet the division's requirements by that date, with the act becoming effective about three months after passage.

Who It Affects

• Consumers such as students, job seekers, and employers who will have free, public access to search, compare, and analyze credentials and their outcomes to make informed decisions.
• Credential providers and state-sponsored education/workforce programs (colleges, career and technical education, and relevant state agencies) that must publish credential and competency data to the Alabama Credential Registry in open formats and align their data to the Alabama Occupational Ontology.

Key Provisions

• Establishes Division 9, creating the Alabama Credential Quality and Transparency Act and the Alabama Credential Registry and Alabama Occupational Ontology for coding credentials and competencies.
• Creates the Alabama Workforce Council Committee on Credential Quality and Transparency, chaired by the Governor, with specified membership and a nonvoting ex officio representative.
• Requires open, public, interoperable data about all credentials and competencies, available through the Alabama Credential Registry and described using credential transparency language specifications.
• Directs the committee to produce a compendium of valuable credentials, review credentials quarterly, and assign alpha-numeric codes using the Alabama Occupation Ontology.
• Requires data to be public in open formats, excludes personal data, and aligns with national standards to support navigation tools and career pathways (e.g., Alabama College and Career Exploration Tool).
• Coordinates a credential transparency advisory group with multiple state agencies to determine data elements, timelines, and resources to meet data requirements.
• By Jan 1, 2022, requires Perkins and WIOA-funded credentials to be registered to the compendium and aligned with statewide and regional in-demand job lists.
• By Jan 1, 2022, all credential and competency data published to the registry must satisfy the division's requirements.
• Effective date is the first day of the third month after the bill becomes law.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Workforce Development