§34-24-162.1. Application; licensure by credentials.

(a) Every person who desires to practice chiropractic within the State of Alabama shall file an application prescribed by the board. Notwithstanding the method of obtaining licensure or any particular requirement set forth herein, every person as a prerequisite to licensure must be at least 21 years of age, of good moral character, a citizen of the United States or, if not a citizen of the United States a person who is legally present in the United States with appropriate documentation from the federal government, a graduate of a chiropractic school or college accredited and recognized by the board and must satisfy any other requirement set forth in any rule adopted by the board.

(b) Any individual who possesses a current license in any state, who has passed a state licensure examination approved by the board and who has, since graduation from chiropractic school, participated in a clinical residency or practiced chiropractic in the Armed Forces or with the Public Health Service shall be eligible for licensure if an application is received by the board within 18 months of the completion of the subject residency or Armed Forces or Public Health Service commitment. All of the above applicants shall pay a fee which shall accompany the application.

(c) Licensure by credentials may be utilized to evaluate the theoretical knowledge and clinical skill of a chiropractor when an applicant for licensure by credentials holds a chiropractic license in another state. The board may promulgate rules relating to licensure by credentials in addition to any statutory requirements.

(d) An applicant for licensure by credentials must meet all of the following:

(1) The chiropractor shall have engaged in the active practice of chiropractic or full-time chiropractic education for the five years immediately preceding his or her application. The active practice of chiropractic or full-time chiropractic education shall mean spending a minimum of at least 5,000 hours engaged in these activities during the relevant time period.

(2) The applicant must hold a current, valid, unrevoked, and unexpired license in a state having examination standards regarded by the State Board of Chiropractic Examiners as an equivalent to the Alabama standards.

(3) The board of examiners in the state of current practice must verify or endorse that the applicant's license is in good standing without any restrictions.

(4) The chiropractor shall not be the subject of a pending disciplinary action in any state in which the individual is or has been licensed which shall be verified by a query to the National Practitioner Data Bank, the Health Integrity Protection Data Bank, the Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Board CINBAD Databank, or any other pertinent bank currently existing or which may exist in the future.

(5) The applicant must provide a written statement agreeing to be interviewed at the request of the board.

(6) The individual must successfully pass a written jurisprudence examination.

(7) The applicant must submit affidavits from two licensed chiropractors practicing in the same geographical area where the applicant currently is practicing or teaching attesting to the applicant's moral character, standing, and ability.

(8) The applicant must provide the board with an official transcript with school seal from the chiropractic school which issued the applicant's professional degree or execute a request and authorization allowing the board to obtain the transcript.

(9) The applicant must not be the subject of any pending or final action from any hospital revoking, suspending, limiting, modifying, or interfering with any clinical or staff privileges.

(10) The applicant must not have been convicted of a felony, a misdemeanor involving moral turpitude, any offense relating to controlled or legend drugs or any offense which would interfere with or impair the ability of the applicant to practice chiropractic with reasonable skill and safety to his or her patients.

(11) The board may consider or require other criteria including, but not limited to, any of the following:

a. Questioning under oath.

b. Results of peer review reports from constituent chiropractic societies or federal chiropractic services.

c. Substance abuse testing or treatment.

d. Proof of no physical or psychological impairment that would adversely affect the ability to practice chiropractic with reasonable skill and safety.

e. Participation in continuing education.

f. Background checks for criminal or fraudulent activities.

g. An agreement to initiate practice within the State of Alabama within a period of one year from the date of the issuance of a license.

h. Proof of professional liability coverage and that coverage has not been refused, declined, cancelled, non-renewed, or modified.

i. In the event an applicant has or is practicing in a state which allows an applicant to prescribe or administer drugs, the applicant has not been the subject of any disciplinary action or is subject to the pendency of any disciplinary action or enforcement proceeding of any kind in connection with these activities. This paragraph applies regardless of whether or not a separate permit or license was issued to engage in the described activities.

(12) The board may refuse to grant a license to an applicant who does not comply with the requirements of Section 34-24-166(a) or who has engaged in any acts constituting the disciplinary grounds set forth in Section 34-24-166(b). The board may further take disciplinary action authorized by this chapter if the board learns or discovers subsequent to the issuance of a license that the individual engaged in any acts constituting the disciplinary grounds set forth in Section 34-24-166(b).

(13) The board may promulgate rules relating to licensure by credentials including applicable fees in addition to any requirements by law.

(Act 2013-414, p. 1568, §2.)