This amendment stops the state agency from approving rural health providers who negotiate together with insurance companies or government benefit plans.
Alabama2026Enacted
HB605
Rural Health Antitrust Immunity Act
Last scannedAug 24, 2026, 9:06 AM
In one sentence
This law allows rural healthcare providers in Alabama to work together on specific tasks if they get approval from state officials, giving them limited protection against antitrust laws.
What it does
- Allows rural health groups to share data and provide shared services after getting a certificate approved by the State Health Planning and Development Agency and the Governor.
- Lists allowed activities such as joint purchasing, sharing staff or technology, improving quality together, and negotiating with suppliers.
- Requires applicants to describe who is involved, what they plan to do, and how it might affect competition.
- Sets rules for officials to review applications based on factors like better care access, cost savings, and whether the benefits outweigh negative effects on competition.
- Gives approved activities limited immunity from state and federal antitrust laws while under active supervision.
- Requires certificates to be renewed every three years with a process that includes proving the collaboration is still necessary.
Who it affects
- Rural healthcare providers in Alabama
- The State Health Planning and Development Agency
- The Governor of Alabama
Limits and unknowns
- The law does not allow joint negotiations with health insurance companies or employee benefit plans.
- Immunity only applies while a valid certificate is held and activities are under active supervision by the state.
- Certificates must be renewed every three years, but the full details of how the agency approves renewals were cut off in the provided text.
Plain language
Terms to know
- Antitrust laws
- Rules that stop businesses from working together to control prices or limit competition.
- State action doctrine
- A legal rule mentioned in the bill that allows states to let groups work together if the state actively supervises them, providing immunity from federal antitrust laws.
Official record
Sources
Official summary
This act is the Rural Health Antitrust Immunity Act. This act: (1) authorizes persons to share data, collaborate, and provide shared services to improve rural healthcare upon approval of the State Health Planning and Development Agency and Governor; (2) provides requirements for applying for approval, including providing the parties, nature of proposed activities, and effect on competition; (3) provides factors that the agency may consider in evaluating applications, including if rural healthcare is improved and anticompetitive effects are outweighed; (4) requires a certificate be renewed every three years and provides a renewal process; and (5) requires the agency to adopt rules to monitor activities conducted pursuant to an approval certificate.
Official activity
Bill history
- Carried Over to the Call of the ChairHouse
- EnactedHouse
- Kiel motion to Concur In and Adopt Senate Amendment - Adopted Roll Call 1358 (Yeas 104, Nays 0)House
- Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 1317 (Yeas 33, Nays 0)Senate
- Chesteen motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 1316 (Yeas 32, Nays 0)Senate
- Delivered to GovernorHouse
- Signature RequestedSenate
- Signature RequestedSenate
- Signature RequestedSenate
- EnrolledHouse
- Ready to EnrollHouse
- Carried Over to Call of ChairSenate
- Chesteen 1st Amendment OfferedSenate
- Third Reading in Second House (Yeas 34, Nays 0)Senate
- Carried Over to the Call of the ChairSenate
- Read for the Second Time and placed on the CalendarSenate
- Reported Out of Committee Second HouseSenate
- Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 1102 (Yeas 66, Nays 0)House
- Motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 1101 (Yeas 66, Nays 0)House
- Third Reading in House of Origin (Yeas 66, Nays 0)House
Changes
Amendments
2 stored
This amendment updates the bill's language to clarify that rural health providers face challenges with high costs and staffing, while also adjusting rules about when antitrust protections apply.