HB313 Summary

• Creates the Alabama Board of Genetic Counseling to license and regulate genetic counselors, consisting of 4 genetic counseling practitioners, 1 university appointee, and 2 physicians.

• Establishes licensure requirements including a master's or doctoral degree in genetic counseling from an accredited program, passage of the ABGC or ABMGG examination, and compliance with board rules.

• Authorizes temporary licenses valid for up to 1 year for applicants who meet all requirements except the examination, requiring supervision by a qualified supervisor.

• Makes practicing genetic counseling without a license a Class A misdemeanor and prohibits unlicensed individuals from using titles including "genetic counselor," "licensed genetic counselor," or related terms.

• Exempts physicians, federal employees, genetic counseling interns in accredited programs, and FDA-approved consumer genetic assessment services from licensure requirements; establishes a Genetic Counseling Fund for program implementation and subjects the board to Alabama's Sunset Law with a termination date of October 1, 2021.