HB 350 creates the Angel Investor Tax Credit Act, allowing Alabama residents or entities investing in qualifying startups to claim a 25% income tax credit on their investments. The credit applies to investments in businesses headquartered in Alabama with ≤100 employees, operating for ≤10 years, and focused on sectors like manufacturing, technology, or agribusiness (excluding retail or financial services). At least 50% of annual credits are reserved for "priority impact businesses" in healthcare, agriculture, education, or workforce development. Credits are capped at $250,000 per investor yearly and $12 million total annually for subsequent years, with requirements to maintain operations in Alabama for three years.
SB 184 requires Alabama's Department of Human Resources (DHR) to create a dementia training program for staff and contractors who investigate complaints about vulnerable adults. The training, mandated for new hires and renewed every two years, covers identifying dementia (including Alzheimer's), safety risks like wandering or falls, communication strategies, and best practices for serving these individuals. It directly affects DHR employees and contractors working in Adult Protective Services under Section 38-9-4(b). The bill, pending in the Senate Healthcare Committee, takes effect October 1, 2026, and authorizes DHR to adopt implementing rules.
HB 139 requires corn masa flour sold in the state to contain at least 0.7 milligrams of folic acid per pound, and corn masa products (like tortillas) to contain at least 0.4 milligrams per pound. This directly affects manufacturers and retailers of corn masa products, mandating added folic acid to improve nutritional content. The bill exempts grocery stores selling conforming products and defines "snack foods" for certain provisions. These requirements aim to standardize folic acid levels in common corn-based foods while clarifying specific exemptions.
SB 209 requires all public K-12 schools in Alabama to teach only "sexual risk avoidance" curriculum, emphasizing abstinence as the sole effective method to prevent pregnancy and STIs. It prohibits any instruction about contraception, abortion referrals, or sexually explicit materials, and bans sex education for students in kindergarten through fourth grade. The bill mandates that parents receive notice before such curriculum is taught and can opt their child out. It also requires schools to provide specific information about pregnancy costs, Alabama's abortion laws, adoption, and healthy relationship practices. The Attorney General is authorized to enforce these requirements.
SB 210 removes two specific requirements for Alabama's chiropractic board members and license applicants. It eliminates the need for board members to have graduated from a chiropractic school requiring actual attendance, and removes the requirement that license applicants must come from schools teaching only in-person courses with a four-year curriculum. The bill also updates outdated language in the licensing code to current style. These changes directly affect chiropractors seeking board service or state licensure in Alabama.
SB 160 adopts the Athletic Trainer Compact, allowing licensed athletic trainers in Alabama to practice in other participating states without obtaining separate licenses. It directly affects athletic trainers seeking to work across state lines and patients who gain easier access to care. The bill establishes a Compact Commission to manage mutual recognition of licenses, streamline disciplinary procedures, and share licensing information among member states. Key provisions include requiring uniform licensing standards, enabling telehealth services, and supporting military families relocating across states. This reduces administrative burdens for trainers and enhances public access to athletic training services.
HB 275 establishes Alabama's participation in the Athletic Trainer Compact, allowing licensed athletic trainers from Alabama to practice in other participating states without obtaining separate licenses. The bill creates uniform licensing standards across member states, eliminates the need for multiple state licenses, and sets up a Compact Commission to manage enforcement, disciplinary actions, and information sharing. It directly affects licensed athletic trainers seeking to work across state lines, military families relocating, and patients gaining access to consistent care. Key provisions include mutual recognition of licenses, standardized disciplinary procedures, and provisions for telehealth services to improve access to athletic training.
HB 361, the Alabama Living Donor Protection Act, prohibits insurers from denying or limiting disability, life, or long-term care insurance coverage to living organ donors. It requires public employers (state/local government) to provide up to 80 hours of paid medical leave for employees donating organs, with no retaliation allowed. Private employers offering similar paid leave (minimum 80 hours or 15 days) qualify for a 25% tax credit (capped at $2,000 annually) for tax years starting in 2027. The bill directly affects organ donors, insurers, public employees, and private sector employers. It aims to remove financial barriers to donation through concrete protections and incentives.
HB 280 establishes the Alabama Health Command, an independent agency, to designate a virtual AI-assisted health platform for rural communities. The platform would provide non-diagnostic health management services - such as wellness education, appointment scheduling, and follow-up assistance - via an avatar-based system, connecting rural patients with local providers without diagnosing or treating medical conditions. The agency must set standards for patient privacy, data security, and preventing the platform from substituting for licensed medical care. Rural hospitals and clinics using this platform would be exempt from competitive bidding requirements, and the bill would take effect on October 1, 2026.
HB 231 removes the expiration date for a quarterly assessment paid by emergency medical transport providers in Alabama. Currently, this assessment (based on providers' revenue from emergency transports) funds Medicaid enhancements for emergency services and ends on July 1, 2028. The bill makes this assessment permanent, requiring providers to continue paying it indefinitely. It directly affects all emergency medical transport providers operating in Alabama who currently pay this fee. The key mechanism is the permanent quarterly calculation tied to providers' prior fiscal quarter revenue, without a set end date.
