HB280 Alabama 2023 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Phillip RigsbyRepresentative

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2023

Title

Relating to the Military Family Jobs Opportunity Act; to amend Section 31-1-6, Code of Alabama 1975, as amended by Act 2022-92, 2022 Regular Session, to extand professional license reciprocity to spouses of United States Department of Defense civil servants; and to make nonsubstantive conforming changes to the law.

Summary

HB280 would extend professional license reciprocity to spouses of Department of Defense civil servants and other eligible federal employees relocating to Alabama, with expedited licensing and fee waivers.

What This Bill Does

The bill expands who qualifies for license reciprocity to include spouses of DoD civil servants and other specified federal employees. It requires licensing boards in Alabama to adopt implementing rules, expedite applications, and allow temporary permits (at least 360 days) while licenses are being processed. If a spouse already holds a substantially similar license from another state or branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, they can continue working in Alabama during the processing period, and boards may establish reciprocity with other states; initial licensing fees would be waived for eligible individuals, with fee waivers processed within 30 days. The act excludes certain professions from these provisions and becomes effective a few months after passage.

Who It Affects

• Eligible individuals: spouses of active duty, reserve, transitioning service members (including National Guard) and surviving spouses relocated to Alabama, plus spouses of DOJ, NASA, and DoD civilian employees relocated to Alabama, who would gain license reciprocity and related benefits.
• Alabama licensing boards/agencies/commissions: must implement the act by adopting rules, expedite license processing, issue temporary permits, and may establish cross-state reciprocity for military spouses.

Key Provisions

• Extends professional license reciprocity to spouses of United States Department of Defense civil servants.
• Defines eligible individuals as spouses of active duty, reserve, transitioning service members, surviving spouses relocated to Alabama, DOJ employees relocated to Alabama, NASA employees relocated to Alabama, or DoD civilian employees in Alabama.
• Requires boards to adopt implementing rules and to expedite license applications, including allowing temporary permits for at least 360 days during processing.
• Allows Alabama licensing boards to establish reciprocity with other states for military spouse licensing and certification.
• Waives the initial licensing fee for eligible individuals and requires fee waivers to be processed within 30 days of application.
• Excludes certain professions from the act (e.g., law, securities regulation, some health/optometry/pharmacy fields, etc).
• Effective date: the first day of the third month after passage.
• Includes nonsubstantive conforming changes to align definitions in the 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

Military Family Jobs Opportunity Act; eligible persons to include Department of Defense and Services