The Alabama Sickle Cell Oversight and Regulatory Commission, a stand-alone state body responsible for ensuring the delivery of services to Alabamians with blood disorders, could become part of the Alabama Department of Public Health.
Senate Bill 128 by Sen. Linda Coleman-Madison, D-Birmingham, was approved by the Alabama Senate on Tuesday. It would fold the 30-year-old commission into the ADPH to manage administrative, legal and financial services.
The proposal came from summer meetings of the Legislative Sunset Committee, which regularly reviews the performance and finances of occupational and licensing boards.
The sickle cell commission has been managed by third-party Smith Warren Management.
Lawmakers on Tuesday stressed that the commission does important work, but could benefit from ADPH’s network of resources.
“The key thing is that they are not reaching as many people as they could because they are not accessible,” Coleman-Madison said.
The bill now moves to the House for consideration.