Department of Revenue; Alabama Certified Licensing Administrators added to list of tax professionals compensated annually for completing professional training
Summary
HB378 amends Alabama law governing a Department of Revenue incentive program for certain local tax professionals who complete the department’s Professional Education and Training Program. Under current law, appraisers, mappers, and tax administrators who earn the relevant state certification and meet the employment requirements may receive an annual $1,200 payment. The bill adds Alabama Certified Licensing Administrators to that list, allowing them to qualify for the same annual compensation if they complete the program and receive the certification.
The bill also keeps the existing program structure in place: the payment is limited to one certification per person, is available only while the individual is employed in the county ad valorem tax field, and must be funded from money already appropriated under Section 40-7-70. The act would take effect on October 1, 2026, and the Department of Revenue would continue to issue rules and regulations to administer the payments.
Impact
HB378 would make a targeted amendment to Section 40-1-46 of the Code of Alabama 1975 by expanding eligibility for the Department of Revenue’s annual professional-achievement payment to include Alabama Certified Licensing Administrators. The practical effect is to extend a $1,200 annual state-funded incentive to an additional category of county tax-related personnel, while leaving the amount, funding source, and eligibility framework otherwise unchanged.
Sentiment
The available voting history shows strong, unanimous support in the House of Origin, with 100-0 and 101-0 votes on the relevant readings and passage motion. No committee transcripts are provided, but the vote pattern suggests the bill was viewed as a routine, noncontroversial administrative or workforce-related measure. The overall sentiment appears favorable and broadly bipartisan.
Contention
No substantive opposition is reflected in the provided materials. The only potentially notable policy issue is the expansion of a state-paid compensation program to another professional category, which could raise questions about cost, precedent, or whether licensing administrators should be treated the same as appraisers, mappers, and tax administrators. However, the unanimous votes indicate no recorded contention in the chamber actions provided.
Office of Occupational and Professional Licensing within the Department of Workforce; created as centralized entity for providing leadership, support, and oversight to certain boards.
Alabama Department of Public Health, certification of community health workers and training programs provided; Community Health Workers Review Board and Program established
Bail Bonds; Bail Reform Act of 1993 and Bail Bond Regulatory Act amended; certain undeposited fees forgiven; penalties for crime of bail jumping increased; to provide further for conditional forfeitures, out-of-state bondsmen and sureties, limitations on property owners as sureties; to provide further for the definition of an employee of a professional bail bond company or professional surety company, for the licensing and duties of apprentices; to increase the membership of the Alabama Professional Bail Bonding Board; provide for a late fee for renewals; and to require applicants for licensing to be residents of this state for at least one year