Alabama Board of Examiners in Counseling; authorized to conduct criminal history background checks

This bill requires the Alabama Board of Examiners in Counseling to conduct criminal history background checks on all applicants seeking initial licensure as professional counselors or associate licensed counselors. The legislation mandates that applicants submit fingerprints for state and national background checks through the FBI and Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency, with all associated costs borne by the applicant. The board is authorized to establish additional procedures for requesting background checks of current licensees and may use these results when making licensing decisions, though background check information remains confidential unless it supports a license denial. The bill also allows the board to adopt rules requiring background checks for license renewal and to interpret how background check results affect licensing eligibility.