Senate Bill 227 Alabama 2026 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Chris ElliottSenator

Republican

Session

2026 Regular Session

Title

Office of Occupational and Professional Licensing established within Alabama Department of Workforce, powers and duties of Secretary of Workforce and executive director specified, Sunset Committee to consider transfer to office in recommendation for modification

Summary

SB227 would create the Office of Occupational and Professional Licensing within the Alabama Department of Workforce to centrally oversee licensing boards, with staff, funding, and rules managed by the new office and possible board transfers guided by Sunset Committee recommendations, beginning October 1, 2026.

What This Bill Does

It establishes a centralized Office of Occupational and Professional Licensing within the Department of Workforce, appoints an executive director and staff, and standardizes licensing funding and fees. It transfers the rights, duties, assets, and records of licensing boards to the Office when those boards come under the new chapter, and creates a dedicated fund to support office operations and board programs. It gives the executive director broad authority to process licenses, enforce rules, conduct investigations, set examination standards and fees, and issue licenses, with boards retaining oversight through review processes and sunset-based continuation decisions beginning in 2030.

Who It Affects

• Licensed professionals and license applicants, who could see changes in licensing processes, examination standards, renewal terms, and associated fees under centralized administration.
• Licensing boards and their members (and related staff), whose powers, records, and day-to-day operations would be consolidated under the Office of Occupational and Professional Licensing and overseen by the executive director.

Key Provisions

• Creates the Office of Occupational and Professional Licensing within the Alabama Department of Workforce and adds Chapter 2A to Title 25.
• Defines key terms (Board, Executive Director, Fund, License, Office) and establishes the Occupational and Professional Licensing Fund to support office operations and board programs.
• Transfers rights, duties, assets, employees, records, and liabilities of boards to the Office on the transfer date, with earlier transfers possible by board resolution if approved.
• Appoints an executive director and deputy directors; sets compensation and service terms; authorizes hiring of staff and investigators under the executive director.
• Empowers the executive director to process applications, issue licenses, conduct investigations, set administrative fees, schedule hearings, and collect funds for the boards.
• Requires board orders to be signed by the executive director and preserves confidentiality of certain information; grants per diem and travel reimbursements to board members.
• Authorizes the executive director to adopt rules on fees and examinations; allows boards to set examination standards and coordinate with national boards; existing board rules continue until amended.
• Allows temporary licenses and renewals, with subsequent board review at the next meeting for full license decisions.
• Requires board rule changes to be approved by the executive director; emergency rules have a separate approval pathway.
• Amends the Sunset Law process to review and recommend continuation or transfer of boards by 2030, including potential transfer of oversight to the Office.
• Amends Section 41-20-5 to allow recommendations for modifying or transferring agencies to the Office by the Sunset Committee.
• Effective date is October 1, 2026.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 12, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Occupational Licensing Boards