Officers; rulemaking authority; compensation; executive director; disposition of funds.

(a)(1) The board appointed under this chapter and each successor thereto is authorized to select from its own membership a chair and to adopt and promulgate such rules and regulations for the transaction of its business and for the betterment and promotion of the standards of service and practice to be followed in the funeral service profession in the State of Alabama as the board may deem expedient and consistent with the laws of this state and for the public good.

(2) The chair shall preside at all meetings of the board unless otherwise ordered, and he or she shall exercise and perform all duties and functions incident to the office of chair.

(3) The board may select also from its own membership a vice chair, a secretary, and a treasurer. No two offices shall be held by the same person.

(b) The treasurer shall give bond to the State of Alabama in the sum of ten thousand dollars ($10,000), and any premium payable for the bond shall be paid from the funds of the board. The bond shall be deposited with the Treasurer of the State of Alabama.

(c) Board members shall be reimbursed for their necessary traveling expenses and the necessary expenses incident to their attendance upon the business of the board, and, in addition thereto, they shall receive the sum of fifty dollars ($50) per diem for every day not to exceed 20 days per year actually spent by the member upon the business of the board. The board may employ an executive director and associate executive director who shall each receive and be paid an annual salary to be fixed by the board, but not to exceed the salary level established and paid to cabinet officers in the state government. The salary shall be paid on a semimonthly basis. In addition, the executive director and associate executive director shall receive his or her necessary traveling and other incidental expenses as are incurred in the performance of duties, and all expenses, per diem, and compensation shall be paid out of the receipts of the board. At no time shall the operation of the board be an expense to the state, and at no time shall expenses of the board exceed the receipts of the board.

(d) The executive director of the board shall have complete supervision and be held responsible for the direction of the office of the board, shall have supervision over field inspection and enforcement of this chapter, and shall be responsible and answerable to the board. The associate executive director shall assist the executive director and perform such other duties as may be assigned to him or her by the board.

(e) The executive director shall keep a record in which shall be registered the name and business address of every person to whom licenses have been granted in accordance with this chapter, the number and date of the license and the date of each renewal. Upon request to do so, the executive director shall supply each person licensed for the practice of embalming and funeral directing with a list of all persons and establishments holding a license under this chapter, then in force, giving the names of the persons, their business addresses, and the numbers of their licenses.

(f) It shall be the duty of the executive director to prepare under the direction of the board and cause to be printed all forms required by this chapter to be prescribed by the board. All notices required to be mailed by this chapter shall be directed to the last known post office address of the party to whom the notice is sent.

(g) The executive director shall serve at the pleasure of the board and shall perform duties as may be necessary for the proper functioning of the board as the board may determine or as may be prescribed in this chapter. During the employment of the executive director, he or she may not be employed by any funeral establishment.

(h) All fees and fines received under this chapter shall be paid into a special fund in the State Treasury to be known as the Alabama State Funeral Directors and Embalmers Fund, which is hereby created, for the necessary and proper expenses of the board, and for a reasonable reserve for future use by the board. All moneys in the fund are hereby appropriated, as a continuing appropriation, to the board to be used for carrying out this chapter.

(i) Each member of the board, the executive director, the associate executive director, designated employees, and independent contractors of the board appropriately identified are authorized at any given time on complaint or for inspection purposes to enter the office, premises, establishment, or place of business of any funeral service licensee in the State of Alabama or any office, premises, establishment, or place where the practice of funeral service is carried on, or where the practice is advertised as being carried on, for the purpose of inspecting the office, premises, records, or establishment and for the purpose of inspecting the license and registration of any funeral service licensee and apprentice trainee operating therein.

(j) All members of the board or designated employees of the board may serve and execute any process issued by any court under this chapter and to serve and execute any papers or process issued by the board or any officer or member thereof under this chapter.

(k) The board may employ clerical assistants and employees or other help as necessary to carry out this chapter, and the terms and conditions of employment shall be determined by the board. The board may establish and equip an office from which this chapter may be carried out.

(Acts 1975, No. 214, p. 705, §6; Acts 1981, No. 81-200, p. 234, §4; Acts 1995, No. 95-517, p. 1047, §1; Act 2011-623, p. 1439, §1; Act 2014-125, p. 206, §1; Act 2017-433, §1; Act 2018-451, §1.)