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Read. Follow. Verify.Alabama HB 299 Revises Respiratory Therapy Board Composition, Licensure Requirements, and Penalties
Last action · March 11, 2026: Read for the Second Time and placed on the CalendarSponsor: Ed Oliver
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What This Bill Would Do
Alabama HB 299 revises the composition and powers of the Alabama State Board of Respiratory Therapy, updates licensure and temporary permit requirements, and establishes criminal penalties for unlicensed practice or fraudulent licensing actions, effective October 1, 2026.
Respiratory therapists, medical facilities, and students in Alabama face updated licensing criteria, expanded board oversight, and new criminal penalties for practicing without a valid credential starting October 1, 2026.
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Respiratory therapists
Must comply with revised licensing standards, biennial renewal requirements, background checks, and professional conduct rules overseen by the updated board.
Respiratory therapy students
Must operate under direct supervision and be designated by title as students or trainees while receiving clinical training.
Healthcare facilities
Must ensure personnel providing respiratory care are properly licensed or meet explicit statutory exemptions.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if someone practices respiratory therapy without a valid license under this bill?
Who is exempt from needing a respiratory therapist license under this legislation?
How many members serve on the Alabama State Board of Respiratory Therapy under the revised composition?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently on floor. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Passed.
Procedural history
4 actions- Mar 11, 2026HouseRead for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar
- Mar 11, 2026HouseCommitteeReported Out of Committee House of Origin
- Jan 21, 2026HouseCommitteePending Committee Action in House of Origin
- Jan 21, 2026HouseIntroducedRead for the first time and referred to the House Committee on Health
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Expanded Board and Criminal Enforcement
The bill shifts oversight by expanding board membership from six to seven and elevates unauthorized practice from administrative discipline to a Class B misdemeanor.
Connected Entities
Sources
alison.legislature.state.al.us
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance65How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy20Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz15Current news / social attention level
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