Alabama § 34-24-307.05 - Adverse Actions.

§ 34-24-307.05. Adverse Actions.

(a) A participating state in which a licensee is licensed shall have exclusive power to impose adverse action against the qualifying license issued by that participating state.

(b) In addition to the other powers conferred by state law, a remote state shall have the authority, in accordance with existing state due process law, to do all of the following:

(1) Take adverse action against a PA’s compact privilege within that state to remove a licensee’s compact privilege or take other action necessary under applicable law to protect the health and safety of its citizens.

(2) Issue subpoenas for both hearings and investigations that require the attendance and testimony of witnesses as well as the production of evidence. Subpoenas issued by a licensing board in a participating state for the attendance and testimony of witnesses or the production of evidence from another participating state shall be enforced in the latter state by any court of competent jurisdiction, according to the practice and procedure of that court applicable to subpoenas issued in proceedings pending before it. The issuing authority shall pay any witness fees, travel expenses, mileage, and other fees required by the service statutes of the state in which the witnesses or evidence are located.

(3) Notwithstanding subdivision (2), subpoenas may not be issued by a participating state to gather evidence of conduct in another state which is lawful in that other state for the purpose of taking adverse action against a licensee’s compact privilege or application for a compact privilege in that participating state.

(4) Nothing in this compact authorizes a participating state to impose discipline against a PA’s compact privilege or to deny an application for a compact privilege in that participating state for the individual’s otherwise lawful practice in another state.

(c) For purposes of taking adverse action, the participating state that issued the qualifying license shall give the same priority and effect to reported conduct received from any other participating state as it would if the conduct had occurred within the participating state that issued the qualifying license. In so doing, the participating state shall apply its own state laws to determine appropriate action.

(d) A participating state, if otherwise permitted by state law, may recover from the affected PA the costs of investigations and disposition of cases resulting from any adverse action taken against that PA.

(e) A participating state may take adverse action based on the factual findings of a remote state, provided that the participating state follows its own procedures for taking the adverse action.

(f) Joint investigations.

(1) In addition to the authority granted to a participating state by its respective state PA laws and rules or other applicable state law, any participating state may participate with other participating states in joint investigations of licensees.

(2) Participating states shall share any investigative, litigation, or compliance materials in furtherance of any joint or individual investigation initiated under this compact.

(g) If an adverse action is taken against a PA’s qualifying license, the PA’s compact privilege in all remote states shall be deactivated until two years have elapsed after all restrictions have been removed from the state license. All disciplinary orders by the participating state that issued the qualifying license which impose adverse action against a PA’s license shall include a statement that the PA’s compact privilege is deactivated in all participating states during the pendency of the order.

(h) If any participating state takes adverse action, it promptly shall notify the administrator of the data system.