§41-27-6. Appointment of the Director of the Department of Public Safety; functions of department; Highway Patrol Division; Marine Police Division.

(a)(1) The Director of the Department of Public Safety shall be appointed by the Secretary of the Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency, after consultation with the Governor, and shall hold office at the pleasure of the secretary. The director shall be appointed from a legacy agency as defined in Section 41-27-7. The salary of the director shall be set by the secretary, and shall not be subject to Section 36-6-6. A person appointed director shall have an extensive law enforcement background and, by virtue of office, is a state law enforcement officer with the immunity set forth in Section 6-5-338.

(2) The director shall have overall supervision and management of functions transferred to the department pursuant to this section, subject to the approval of the secretary, including the power to change the working title of any position or to reorganize or rename any of the divisions, units, or functions specified in this section. Any change of working title shall not alter the classification or compensation of any person in the state Merit System.

(3) All functions performed by the department on October 1, 2014, shall remain under the Department of Public Safety unless reorganized by the secretary or otherwise transferred pursuant to this chapter.

(b)(1) The Highway Patrol Division of the Department of Public Safety succeeds to and is vested with all law enforcement functions of the following enforcement units, and a reference in any law to these enforcement units shall be deemed a reference to the Highway Patrol Division of the Department of Public Safety:

a. The law enforcement unit of the Public Service Commission.

b. The revenue enforcement officers of the Department of Revenue.

(2) The director shall appoint a chief of the division.

(c)(1) The Marine Police Division is hereby created within the Department of Public Safety. The director shall appoint a chief of the division.

(2) The Marine Police Division of the Department of Public Safety succeeds to and is vested with all functions of the Marine Police Division of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. A reference in any law to the Marine Police Division of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources shall be deemed a reference to the Marine Police Division of the Department of Public Safety.

(Act 2013-67, p. 130, §6.)