HB143 Alabama 2024 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Mark ShireyRepresentative

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2024

Title

State Health Officer; approval by Governor required before certain emergency rules, orders, or directives are effective

Summary

HB143 would require the Governor's approval before most emergency health rules or directives issued by the State Health Officer related to disease outbreaks take effect, with limited exceptions.

What This Bill Does

Under HB143, broad emergency rules, orders, or directives about disease outbreaks would not take effect until the Governor approves them and a copy is filed with the Secretary of State. The bill keeps the State Health Officer’s ability to issue individualized orders in certain situations (such as enforcement actions, fines, or quarantine orders) without Governor approval. It also requires the State Health Officer to report these actions to the State Committee of Public Health at its next meeting for confirmation or modification. The measure takes effect on October 1, 2024.

Who It Affects

• General public and businesses in Alabama would be affected because broad disease-outbreak rules could not take effect without Governor approval and filing with the Secretary of State.
• State Health Officer, Governor, Secretary of State, and the State Committee of Public Health would have new or clarified roles: the Governor must approve broad rules, filings are required, and the Committee will review actions after they are issued.

Key Provisions

• Broad emergency rules, orders, or directives related to containment or mitigation of a disease outbreak that are generally applicable to the public must be approved by the Governor and filed with the Secretary of State before taking effect.
• The Governor approval requirement does not apply to individualized orders or directives issued to specific persons or entities for violations of public health laws or rules, or for actions like suspending permits, imposing fines, destroying adulterated or contaminated food, abating unsanitary conditions, or issuing quarantine or isolation orders.
• The State Health Officer must report emergency rules, orders, and directives to the State Committee of Public Health at its next meeting, where the committee can confirm or modify the action.
• The act becomes effective October 1, 2024.

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

Subjects

Health