Senate Bill 297 Alabama 2026 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Larry StuttsSenator

Republican

Session

2026 Regular Session

Title

Hospitals; required to report certain staffing information to Alabama Department of Public Health and publicly indicate whether physicians are physically present in emergency department

Summary

SB297 would require Alabama hospitals and freestanding emergency departments to report quarterly on physician availability, publicly publish and display whether a physician is physically present in the ED, and allow ADPH to suspend or revoke licenses for violations, effective July 1, 2026.

What This Bill Does

Hospitals and freestanding EDs must report, for each ED, the total hours a physician is on-site and on duty and the total hours the ED operates without a physician on-site. ADPH must publish this data on its website in a searchable, standardized format with both facility-specific and aggregate statistics. Hospitals must display in the ED waiting room and on their website a statement stating whether a physician is physically present, with presence defined as a licensed physician on-site and overseeing clinical care; presence does not include telemedicine, off-site physicians, on-call status, or physicians covering multiple EDs. The department may suspend or revoke a hospital’s license for violations of these requirements.

Who It Affects

• Hospitals and freestanding emergency departments in Alabama, which must collect, report, and publicly display physician availability data.
• Alabama Department of Public Health and Alabama residents/patients, who will have access to the published data and rely on ADPH for enforcement actions (including possible license suspension or revocation).

Key Provisions

• Quarterly reporting requirement: each ED must report total hours with at least one physician physically present and on duty, and total hours with no physician physically present.
• Public disclosure: ADPH must publish the collected information on its website in a searchable, standardized format with facility-specific and aggregate statistics.
• On-site and online presence declarations: hospitals must post a statement in the ED waiting room and on their website indicating whether a physician is physically present.
• Definition of physical presence: a physician is present if a licensed physician is on-site and primarily responsible for clinical oversight; presence does not include telemedicine, off-site physicians, on-call status, or covering multiple EDs.
• Enforcement: ADPH may suspend or revoke the hospital’s license for violations of these requirements.
• Effective date: the act becomes effective July 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

Health