Under existing law, occupational and professional licensing boards are responsible for regulating different professions and occupations in the state. This bill would establish the Office of Occupational and Professional Licensing within the Alabama Department of Workforce to serve as a centralized entity providing leadership, support, and oversight to certain professional or occupational licensing boards operating within the state. This bill would provide for the appointment of an executive director, deputy directors, and other staff for the office, including investigators, and would provide uniformity for certain provisions relating to licensing, fees, funding, and expenses. This bill would maintain the validity of occupational and professional licenses issued before the transfer and the continuance of the rules of a transferred occupational or professional licensing board adopted before the transfer. This bill would also provide for the transfer of an agency to the office pursuant to a recommendation for legislative modification by the Sunset Committee.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 25-2A-1, 25-2A-2, 25-2A-3, 25-2A-4, 25-2A-5, 25-2A-6, 25-2A-7, 25-2A-8, 25-2A-6, 25-2A-9, 25-2A-10, 25-2A-11, 41-22-6, 41-22-5, 25-2A-12, 31-1-6, 25-2A-13, 41-20-5