Alabama § 22-2-4 - State Committee of Public Health - Creation; Composition; Per Diem and Reimbursements.

§ 22-2-4. State Committee of Public Health - Creation; Composition; Per Diem and Reimbursements.

(a) There is hereby created a State Committee of Public Health which, until May 1, 2025, shall be composed of 12 members of the board of censors of the Medical Association of the State of Alabama and the chair of the four councils which are created in Section 22-2-9.

(b) Beginning May 1, 2025, the State Committee of Public Health shall consist of:

(1) Eleven physicians appointed by the Medical Association of the State of Alabama, consisting of one from each congressional district of the state and four at-large physicians, two of whom shall serve a one-year term and two of whom shall serve a two-year term;

(2) One physician appointed by the Alabama State Society of Anesthesiologists; and

(3) The chair of each of the four councils created in Section 22-2-9.

(c) Beginning May 1, 2026, the State Committee of Public Health shall consist of:

(1) Nine physicians appointed by the Medical Association of the State of Alabama, consisting of one from each congressional district of the state and two at-large physicians;

(2) One physician appointed by the Alabama State Society of Anesthesiologists;

(3) One physician appointed by the Alabama Academy of Family Physicians;

(4) One physician appointed by the Alabama Chapter of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists; and

(5) The chair of each of the four councils created in Section 22-2-9.

(d) Beginning May 1, 2027, the State Committee of Public Health shall consist of:

(1) One physician from each congressional district of the state appointed by the Medical Association of the State of Alabama;

(2) One physician appointed at-large by the Medical Association of the State of Alabama from its Minority Physicians Section;

(3) One physician appointed by the Alabama State Society of Anesthesiologists;

(4) One physician appointed by the Alabama Academy of Family Physicians;

(5) One physician appointed by the Alabama Chapter of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists;

(6) One physician appointed by the Alabama Medical Directors Association; and

(7) The chair of each of the four councils created in Section 22-2-9.

(e)(1) The Medical Association of the State of Alabama shall stagger initial appointments so that no more than three members appointed from congressional districts shall be appointed to the committee in any one year.

(2) Beginning with all appointments made on or after May 1, 2025, appointed members of the State Committee of Public Health, except as provided in subdivision (1) and the at-large members in subdivision (b)(1), shall serve a term of three years. All members shall be eligible for reappointment, but may not serve more than two additional terms.

(f) All physician members of the State Committee of Public Health shall be residents of this state and shall be licensed to practice medicine by the Medical Licensure Commission of Alabama.

(g) The appointing authorities shall coordinate their appointments to assure the membership of the State Committee of Public Health is inclusive and reflects the racial, gender, geographic, urban, rural, and economic diversity of the state.

(h) A majority of the membership of the State Committee of Public Health shall elect a chair and a vice-chair to serve one term of four years; provided, however, the vice-chair elected to serve on or after May 1, 2025 shall serve a term of one year. Beginning May 1, 2026, both the chair and vice-chair shall serve concurrently and shall each serve one term of three years. If the chair is unable to serve, the vice-chair shall succeed to the position of chair of the committee. Each member of the State Committee of Public Health shall have one vote, except the chair who shall vote only in case of a tie. The State Health Officer shall be ex officio secretary to the committee, though not a member thereof, and he or she shall have no vote.

(i) The members of the committee shall receive a per diem at a rate of one hundred dollars ($100) per day when in attendance at an official meeting or function of the committee. In addition, each committee member shall receive reimbursement for subsistence and travel in accordance with state law for each day actively engaged in the duties of his or her office.