Alabama Gov.
Kay Ivey used Wednesday’s announcement to draw a bright line from this year’s legislative work to what she calls her last-year healthcare priorities: more access, smoother delivery, and fewer obstacles—especially for rural communities.
She highlighted nine pieces of legislation from the 2026 session that she has now signed into law.
Rural EMS, provider flexibility take center stage
“In December, I announced Alabama’s participation in a new Trump Administration program funded by the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ passed by Congress to expand rural healthcare delivery,” Ivey said.
“Not wasting a moment, I worked with legislative leaders this session to remove legal barriers to ensure healthcare providers are able to work together to improve healthcare delivery in our rural areas.”
Part of that “legal barriers” theme shows up in House Bill 605, sponsored by Rep.
Jamie Kiel, R-Russellville.
The bill provides rural healthcare providers with limited immunity from state antitrust laws, aimed at preserving access by allowing providers to coordinate—or, as the policy intends, displace competition when necessary to keep care available.
It also includes Senate Bill 269, sponsored by Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro.
SB269 authorizes ambulance services to provide “treat in place” services, meaning basic life support to patients without transferring them to a medical facility.
The legislation also raises minimum reimbursement rates for health insurers to EMS providers.
Supporters, including representatives from local ambulance services, argued the changes will improve response times and EMS access in rural areas—though SB269 drew pushback from the Alabama Farmers Federation’s ALFA Insurance, which warned it could drive premium spikes for some Alabamians and, he argued, benefit urban areas more than the rural communities targeted.
There’s more in the same practical vein: House Bill 156, sponsored by Rep. Paul Lee, R-Dothan, simplifies the license approval process for out-of-state physician assistants to practice in Alabama, making Alabama the 24th U.S. state to join a national compact for multi-state PA practice.
SNAP limits and cancer screening copays get signed
Ivey described SB57 as a way to encourage healthier lifestyles among Alabama SNAP beneficiaries.
“We are promoting healthier diets for Alabama SNAP beneficiaries by restricting the purchase of sugary foods that contribute to obesity and diabetes,” she said.
During the session, multiple Democratic lawmakers offered staunch opposition to the measure—though Ivey tied it to the same rural healthcare partnership she’s emphasizing, saying the signed bills lay “a solid foundation” as Alabama “partner[s] with the Trump Administration in improving rural healthcare delivery.”
Another focus is removing patient costs for key screenings.
Ivey celebrated legislation that dismantles copays for certain cancer screenings: House Bill 300, sponsored by Rep.
Frances Holk-Jones, R-Foley, requires insurance providers to fully cover certain secondary breast examinations needed to diagnose breast cancer.
Senate Bill 19, sponsored by Sen.
Steve Livingston, R-Scottsboro, removes cost-sharing requirements for prostate cancer screenings among high-risk men.
In a sign of how these bills are being sold politically, an American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network Alabama Government Relations Director, Jane Adams, said ahead of HB300’s signing that the changes will increase access to cancer screenings and improve health outcomes through early detection.
Adams also said the organization’s future legislative priorities include increasing the state’s tobacco taxes and pushing for improvements in funding for the Alabama Breast Cancer and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program, which currently receives $600,000 annually.
And then there’s Senate Bill 9, sponsored by Sen. Gerald Allen, R-Cottondale, which adds a statewide prohibition on vaping to Alabama’s existing laws against smoking in enclosed public spaces.
One small, immediate detail: the press event room had that faint hum of HVAC vents—like it was still trying to keep up with the crowd—while Ivey walked through the new laws in a steady, familiar cadence.
HB605 took effect immediately with Ivey’s signature, while the rest of the healthcare bills she highlighted will take effect from Oct.
1, 2026, to Oct.
1, 2027.
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