The current Alabama legislative session is in full swing, and your Academy is actively engaged on multiple fronts, advocating for policies that support family physicians and protect patient care. This year’s slate of proposed legislation is extensive, touching on everything from crucial cancer screenings and rural healthcare access to scope of practice and the emerging role of artificial intelligence in medicine. To keep our members informed and engaged, we have compiled a summary of health care related legislation that we continue to monitor on your behalf in Montgomery.

Senate

SB 19 – Prostate Cancer Early Detection Bill

What’s in the bill: Sponsored by Sen. Steve Livingston, SB 19 amends Alabama law to recognize African American men and men with first-degree relatives affected by prostate cancer as high-risk groups. It mandates health insurance plans to cover prostate cancer screening—including for younger high-risk men over 40 and all men over 50—without any cost-sharing such as deductibles or copayments, ensuring access to early detection services.

SB 63 – AI Prior Authorization Oversight Bill

What’s in the bill: Sponsored by Sen. Arthur Orr, SB 63 regulates the use of artificial intelligence (AI) by health insurers in making coverage determinations under health benefit plans. It prohibits insurers from relying exclusively on AI for coverage decisions, mandates that denials or reductions be made by qualified health care professionals, requires disclosure to enrollees about AI use, and empowers the Alabama Department of Insurance to oversee compliance and penalize violations.

SB 82 – No CON for Rural Areas

What’s in the bill: Sponsored by Sen. Larry Stutts, SB 82 eliminates the certificate of need requirement for new or expanded health care facilities and services located in rural areas of Alabama while maintaining reporting obligations to the State Health Planning and Development Agency (SHPDA). It also updates various legal definitions, removes duplicative language, and makes technical revisions for clarity and style in the existing healthcare code. The bill aims to facilitate healthcare expansion in rural areas by reducing regulatory hurdles without compromising state-level health planning and reporting.

SB 110 – Nurse Practitioner Athletic Physical Bill

What’s in the bill: Sponsored by Sen. Chris Elliot, SB 110 amends Alabama law to explicitly allow physical examination forms for K-12 school athletic participation endorsed by certified registered nurse practitioners (CRNPs) or certified nurse midwives (CNMs) to be accepted as valid, equivalent to physician endorsements. It prohibits public K-12 schools from belonging to athletic associations that refuse to accept such endorsements, effective October 1, 2026.

House

HB 24 – Religious Vaccine Exemption Bill for K-12 Students

What’s in the bill: Sponsored by Rep. Mack Butler, HB 24 clarifies and expands exemptions from vaccination and testing requirements for students in public K-12 schools and public institutions of higher education. It establishes that a written declaration from a parent or guardian is sufficient for religious exemption in K-12 settings, and requires public higher education institutions to allow both religious and medical exemptions upon written submission without third-party approval.

HB 40 – Prostate Cancer Early Detection Bill

What’s in the bill: Sponsored by Rep. Jeremey Gray, HB 40 amends Alabama law to recognize African American men and men with first-degree relatives affected by prostate cancer as high-risk groups. It mandates health insurance plans to cover prostate cancer screening—including for younger high-risk men over 40 and all men over 50—without any cost-sharing such as deductibles or copayments, ensuring access to early detection services.

HB 115 – Rural Physician Tax Credit

What’s in the bill: Sponsored by Rep. Ed Oliver, HB 115 would update a rural physician tax credit aimed at attracting more doctors to practice in rural areas. The existing tax credit, established in 1993, is set to be enhanced to $10,000, doubling its previous amount. This expansion will extend eligibility to physicians residing in counties with populations of 75,000 or fewer, as well as municipalities with populations of 20,000 or less – in a county with 75,000 or less. The updated tax credit seeks to incentivize physicians to serve in underserved rural communities, addressing long standing healthcare disparities and bolstering access to medical care for Alabama’s rural residents.

HB 127 – Off-Label Dispensing of Pharmacists & Allowing the Sale of Over-the-Counter Sale of Ivermectin and Hydroxychloroquine

What’s in the bill: Sponsored by Rep. Chip Brown, HB 127 seeks to extend protections to pharmacists similar to those currently given to physicians regarding off-label drug use. It prohibits disciplinary actions against pharmacists recommending or dispensing off-label medications and protects them from employer or pharmacy benefits manager retaliation. The bill further allows over-the-counter sales of Ivermectin and Hydroxychloroquine in Alabama, effective October 1, 2026.

HB 129: Midwives Newborn Screening Bill

What’s in the bill: Sponsored by Rep. Marilyn Land, HB 129 authorizes licensed midwives in Alabama to not only order but also administer newborn screening tests as part of the state’s Newborn Screening Program. It amends existing law to expand midwives’ roles to include administration of specific health screenings and tests for neonates and establishes requirements for midwives regarding client disclosures, informed consent, emergency planning, data reporting, and compliance with state health directives.

HB 156 – Physician Assistant Interstate Compact Bill

What’s in the bill: Sponsored by Rep. Paul Lee, HB 156 adopts the Physician Assistant (PA) Licensure Compact, enabling PAs licensed in one member state to practice across participating states under a uniform licensure framework. It establishes the PA Licensure Compact Commission to oversee implementation, data sharing, disciplinary actions, and rulemaking to facilitate license portability while ensuring patient safety. The bill does not expand the scope of practice for physician assistants beyond existing state laws but rather facilitates interstate practice under a uniform framework.

HB 276 – Nurse Practitioner Athletic Physical Bill

What’s in the bill: Sponsored by Rep. Ed Oliver, HB 276 amends Alabama law to explicitly allow physical examination forms for K-12 school athletic participation endorsed by certified registered nurse practitioners (CRNPs) or certified nurse midwives (CNMs) to be accepted as valid, equivalent to physician endorsements. It prohibits public K-12 schools from belonging to athletic associations that refuse to accept such endorsements, effective October 1, 2026.

HB 300 – Breast Cancer Screening Bill

What’s in the bill: Sponsored by Rep. Frances Holk-Jones, HB 300 mandates that health insurance plans offering coverage for breast cancer screening or diagnostic breast imaging in Alabama must not impose cost-sharing requirements such as deductibles, copayments, or coinsurance on enrollees for these services. It broadens existing requirements by including both supplemental and diagnostic breast examinations and applies this protection to all health benefit plans issued or renewed in Alabama.