SB193 Alabama 2025 Session

Updated Feb 23, 2026

High Interest

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Chris ElliottSenator
Republican
Session: 2025 Regular Session
Title: Office of Occupational and Professional Licensing within the Department of Workforce; created as centralized entity for providing leadership, support, and oversight to certain boards.
Summary: SB193 creates a centralized Office of Occupational and Professional Licensing within the Alabama Department of Workforce to oversee multiple licensing boards, transferring many boards into that office while moving certain entities to other state agencies.
What This Bill Does
It establishes the Office of Occupational and Professional Licensing, with an executive director and staff, to provide centralized leadership, support, and oversight for designated boards and to standardize licensing provisions, fees, funding, and expenditures. Beginning October 1, 2026, dozens of professional licensing boards listed in the bill would transfer to the Office to operate under a unified framework, while ongoing licenses and board rules would continue. The bill also transfers the Sick Cell Oversight and Regulatory Commission to the Department of Public Health and moves the Alabama Drycleaning Environmental Response Trust Fund Advisory Board to the Alabama Department of Environmental Management. It creates dedicated funds (Occupational and Professional Licensing Fund and related board funds), enables fee structures and continuing education requirements, and subjects the boards to Sunset Law review for continuation or termination.

Who It Affects
Occupational and professional licensing boards and their licensees: Their oversight, administration, and funding would move under the new Office, with standardized fees, processes, and potential changes in governance and staffing.
State agencies and public health/environmental entities: The Sick Cell Oversight and Regulatory Commission would move to Public Health, and the Drycleaning Environmental Response Trust Fund Advisory Board would move to Environmental Management, affecting how these programs are administered and funded.

Key Provisions
Creation of the Office of Occupational and Professional Licensing within the Alabama Department of Workforce, with an executive director, deputy directors, and staff (including investigators) and centralized oversight of listed licensing boards; establishment of uniform standards for licensing, fees, funding, and expenses.
Commencement of transfer on October 1, 2026, of the Board of Examiners of Assisted Living Administrators, Alabama Athletic Commission, Alabama Board of Athletic Trainers, State Board of Auctioneers, Alabama Professional Bail Bonding Board, Board of Examiners in Counseling, Alabama Board of Electrical Contractors, Alabama Electronic Security Board of Licensure, State Board of Genetic Counseling, Board of Home Medical Equipment, Alabama Board for Registered Interior Designers, Licensure Board for Interpreters and Transliterators, Alabama Board of Examiners of Landscape Architects, Board of Examiners in Marriage and Family Therapy, Massage Therapy Licensing Board, State Board of Midwifery, Private Investigation Board, State Board of Prosthetists and Orthotists, and the Alabama Security Regulatory Board, among others, to be governed by the Office with continued license validity during the transfer.
Transfers of the Sickle Cell Oversight and Regulatory Commission to the Department of Public Health and the Alabama Drycleaning Environmental Response Trust Fund Advisory Board to the Alabama Department of Environmental Management, with continued operation under those departments.
Funding and fees: creation of the Occupational and Professional Licensing Fund to collect and allocate funds for board operations and required functions; boards may set and collect administrative and examination fees, renewal fees, and continuing education costs; per diem and travel allowances for board members are provided and funded from board funds.

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