Office of Occupational and Professional Licensing within the Department of Workforce; created as centralized entity for providing leadership, support, and oversight to certain boards.

This bill establishes the Office of Occupational and Professional Licensing within the Alabama Department of Workforce to centralize leadership, support, and oversight for specific professional and occupational licensing boards. Effective October 1, 2026, it transfers 20 boards, such as those for athletic trainers, auctioneers, and marriage and family therapists, under this new office. The office will appoint an executive director and staff, including investigators, and aims to standardize provisions related to licensing, fees, and funding for these boards. The bill also transfers 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 Department of Environmental Management.