SB38 Summary

• Authorizes the Alabama Fire College to certify peer support members for emergency responders, in addition to the existing Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency certification authority.

• Expands the definition of "emergency responder" to include wildland firefighters and broadens eligibility for peer support certification to emergency service chaplains.

• Requires firefighters, paramedics, emergency medical technicians, and chaplains of fire services to be certified by the Alabama Fire College, while law enforcement officers, dispatchers, and law enforcement chaplains must be certified by the Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency.

• Establishes qualified immunity for peer support communications through privilege protections, with exceptions for when the peer support member was a witness to the incident, communications reveal intended crimes, or communications reveal crimes that occurred.

• Becomes effective on the first day of the third month following passage and approval by the Governor.