Alabama HB605: State Health Planning and Development Agency; Rural Health Antitrust Immunity Act created, collaboration among rural health care providers authorized; certification and supervision framework established, limited immunity from state and federal antitrust laws provided

What the bill says

An Act, Relating to rural healthcare; to authorize regulated collaboration among rural healthcare providers and related entities; to establish a certification and active supervision framework administered by the state; to articulate a state policy to preserve rural healthcare access and quality; to provide limited immunity from state and federal antitrust laws consistent with the state action doctrine; to prescribe application, review, monitoring, renewal, and enforcement procedures; to limit immunity to approved and supervised conduct; and to provide related protections and safeguards.

From the enrolled text:

An Act, Relating to rural healthcare; to authorize regulated collaboration among rural healthcare providers and related entities; to establish a certification and active supervision framework administered by the state; to articulate a state policy to preserve rural healthcare access and quality; to provide limited immunity from state and federal antitrust laws consistent with the state action doctrine; to prescribe application, review, monitoring, renewal, and enforcement procedures; to limit immunity to approved and supervised conduct; and to provide related protections and safeguards. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA: Section 1. This act may be known and cited as the Rural Health Antitrust Immunity Act. Section 2. The Legislature finds and declares the following: (1) Alabama's rural communities face persistent disparities in access to care, workforce capacity, health outcomes, and healthcare infrastructure, requiring coordinated and sustained action across state agencies, the Legislature, providers, and community partners. (2) Rural healthcare facilities are closing and losing important specialty services due to increasing costs and the inability to recruit and retain qualified physicians and other healthcare professionals. (3) The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law on Page (3) The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law on HB605 Enrolled July 4, 2025, by President Donald J. Trump, established the Rural Health Transformation Program, which authorizes states to submit plans to …