SB38 • 2026

Governor, authorized to remove executive director or director of occupational or professional licensing boards

Labor

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Givhan
Last action: 2026-04-07
Official status: Indefinitely Postponed in House of Origin
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide details on what happens if an individual is part of the Merit System and is removed from their position.

Governor Can Remove Licensing Board Leaders

This bill gives the Governor the power to remove executive directors or directors of occupational and professional licensing boards from their positions, except those protected by the state Merit System.

What This Bill Does

Gives the Governor the authority to remove individuals who are in charge of occupational or professional licensing boards.
Does not apply to employees covered under the state's Merit System rules.

Who It Names or Affects

The Governor
Executive directors and directors of occupational or professional licensing boards

Terms To Know

Merit System: A system that protects certain state employees from being fired without a good reason.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify what happens if the removed individual is part of the Merit System.
It's unclear how this change will affect current board leaders who are protected by the Merit System.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

JP8TLFY-1

Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Development

Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Development 1st Substitute

Plain English: JP8TLFY-1 01/30/2026 KMS (L)KMS 2026-606 SUB SB38 FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SUBSTITUTE TO SB38 OFFERED BY SENATOR GIVHAN Page 1 SYNOPSIS: Under existing statutory law, the Governor may remove from office and discharge from employment any person who holds office or employment by virtue of appointment by the incumbent Governor or any preceding Governor except those employees subject to the Merit System Act.

JP8TLFY-1 01/30/2026 KMS (L)KMS 2026-606 SUB SB38 FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SUBSTITUTE TO SB38 OFFERED BY SENATOR GIVHAN Page 1 SYNOPSIS: Under existing statutory law, the Governor may remove from office and discharge from employment any person who holds office or employment by virtue of appointment by the incumbent Governor or any preceding Governor except those employees subject to the Merit System Act.
This bill would codify the existing authority of the Governor under the Constitution of Alabama of 2022, to remove from office or discharge from employment the head of any state executive branch agency.
This bill would also provide that the removal authority supplements, and shall not be construed to diminish, the authority of any other official or entity to appoint or remove such an agency head.
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT Relating to public officers and employees; to amend Section 36-13-7, Code of Alabama 1975; to codify the removal authority of the Governor without diminishing the appointment or removal authority of any other official, board, commission, 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Page 2 or removal authority of any other official, board, commission, or other person or entity.

This amendment summary is using official source text because generated interpretation was skipped for this run.

Bill History

2026-04-07 Senate
Currently Indefinitely Postponed
2026-02-05 Senate
Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar
2026-02-04 Senate
Reported Out of Committee House of Origin
2026-02-04 Senate
Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Development 1st Substitute
2026-01-13 Senate
Pending Committee Action in House of Origin
2026-01-13 Senate
Read for the first time and referred to the Senate Committee on Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Development

Official Summary Text

Governor, authorized to remove executive director or director of occupational or professional licensing boards

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SB38 INTRODUCED
Page 0
SB38
DGZY6TT-1
By Senators Givhan, Elliott
RFD: Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Development
First Read: 13-Jan-26
PFD: 07-Jan-26
1
2
3
4
5
6
DGZY6TT-1 10/20/2025 KMS (L)cr 2025-2962
Page 1
PFD: 07-Jan-26
SYNOPSIS:
Under existing law, the Governor may remove from
office any individual who is holding office or employed
in an executive branch department or agency and was
appointed by the current or a former Governor.
This bill would authorize the Governor to remove
from office any individual serving as the executive
officer of an occupational or professional licensing
board.
A BILL
TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
Relating to the Governor; to amend Section 36-13-7,
Code of Alabama 1975, to authorize the Governor to remove from
office any individual serving as the executive officer of an
occupational or professional licensing board.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
Section 1. Section 36-13-7 of the Code of Alabama 1975,
is amended to read as follows:
"§36-13-7
(a) The Governor is authorized and empowered to may
remove from office and discharge from employment, with or
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
SB38 INTRODUCED
Page 2
remove from office and discharge from employment, with or
without cause, any person individual who holds office or
employment in any of the state executive departments and or
agencies by virtue of appointment by the incumbent Governor or
any preceding Governor, except those employees subject to the
state Merit System provisions .
(b) The Governor may remove from office and discharge
from employment, with or without cause, any individual who is
serving in the position of executive officer of an
occupational or professional licensing board, except those
individuals subject to the state Merit System. "
Section 2. This act shall become effective on October
1, 2026.
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40