HB272 Summary

• Adds Section 34-24-140.1 to the Alabama Code to clarify the State Board of Chiropractic Examiners' rulemaking authority regarding state and federal anti-trust laws.

• Establishes legislative intent to immunize the Board and its members from anti-trust liability when adopting rules that prioritize patient safety and wellness, even if anti-competitive, provided the effect on public safety is clearly demonstrated and documented.

• Authorizes the Board to define and regulate chiropractic practice in ways that may be anti-competitive when justified by patient safety concerns, including prohibiting unlicensed practitioners.

• Restricts Board rules to supplementing or clarifying statutory definitions of chiropractic practice without conflicting with existing statutes defining the practice.

• Limits the act's scope to anti-trust immunity matters, preserving all rights, privileges, and duties of Board members as they existed before the 2015 U.S. Supreme Court decision in North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners v. FTC.