HB425 Alabama 2025 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Russell BedsoleRepresentative

Republican

Session

2025 Regular Session

Title

Regional Mental Health Authority Boards; to revise membership and qualifications

Summary

HB425 changes how regional mental health authority boards are formed by adding sheriff and probate judge representation to the executive committee, restricting extra director qualifications, and setting new diversity, meeting, and quorum rules.

What This Bill Does

First, the nine-member executive committee must include at least one active sheriff or their representative and one active probate judge who are serving on the full board, with rules for designation and opt-out. Second, the bill stops the corporation from adding new director qualifications through its charter, constitution, or bylaws beyond what state law and department rules allow. Third, it requires directors to reside in their service area, promotes diversity and a balance of expertise, sets six-year terms with staggering, requires attendance-based removal, and establishes specific meeting and quorum rules along with open-meetings compliance and filing requirements; the act becomes effective October 1, 2025.

Who It Affects

• Regional mental health authority board members (directors and any executive committee members), who must meet new residency, diversity, and attendance requirements and may face changes in how qualifications are set.
• sheriffs, sheriff's representatives, and probate judges involved with these boards, who must be included on the executive committee (one sheriff/rep and one probate judge) if they are serving on the board, with procedures for designation, opt-out, and potential vacancies.

Key Provisions

• Executive committee must include at least one active sheriff or their representative and one active probate judge who are serving on the board; officials may opt out but remain on the board; if there are multiple, they designate one to serve on the executive committee.
• The corporation may not add new director qualifications through its certificate of incorporation, constitution, or bylaws beyond what is allowed by law and Administrative Procedure Act.
• Directors must be residents of the area they represent, boards must reflect area diversity (race, gender, geography, urban/rural status, and economy), and directors must demonstrate concern for local mental health services and have balanced areas of expertise; no extra compensation is provided.
• Terms: initial terms run until noon on April 1 of the next succeeding odd-numbered year; thereafter terms are six years with roughly one-third of directors’ terms ending each odd-numbered year; attendance-based removal rights exist for appointing authorities; and open meetings and filing requirements apply.
• Quorum: for the executive committee, a majority must be present to transact business; for the board, three members from the active one-third of the board are required to transact business when vacancies exist; boards with more than 16 members have monthly executive committee meetings and the full board must meet at least semiannually; constitution and bylaws must be filed with the Alabama Department of Mental Health.

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

Subjects

Mental Health