Our Public Records Policy

It is the policy of the executive branch of the State of Alabama to promptly provide citizens with public records upon request, subject to their payment of reasonable fees (where applicable), to applicable laws protecting sensitive information, and to the interest of the general public in having the business of government carried on efficiently and without undue interference.

Submitting a Request for Public Records

You may submit a public records request by completing and submitting a Request for Public Records form.

The type of record being requested will determine its availability, the time necessary to gather the records, and any cost associated with providing the records.

Costs/Fees

•             Depending upon the scope of your request, the payment of fees may be required before a substantive response is provided. Payment of fees will generally not be required for Standard Requests. For Time-Intensive Requests, payment for staff time at the rate of $20.00 per hour is required.

•             Standard 8-1/2” x 11” black and white photocopies will be charged at $0.50 per page. There will be no per-page charge for documents provided electronically. Other necessary and reasonable expenses and/or services, such as a flash drive or other hardware necessary for electronically producing records, oversize, color, or other types of copies, will be billed at actual cost.

What to Expect

•             The Board will acknowledge your request within ten business days.

•             The Board will classify your request as a “Standard Request” or a “Time-Intensive Request.” A “Standard Request” is one that can be fulfilled with less than eight hours of staff time. A “Time-Intensive Request” is one that is projected to take more than eight hours.

•             After a request form is received, a determination will be made if the requested information is a record(s) subject to disclosure.

•             Most records will be sent by email.  If voluminous, the records may be made available for in-person viewing/copying during regular business hours.

 •            Records will usually be provided within 15 business days after acknowledgement of receipt of the request. Numerous factors may necessitate that this time frame be extended. Time-intensive requests are generally fulfilled within 45 days.

The following documents are not public and may not be produced under Alabama law: 

•             All reports of investigations

•             Documents subpoenaed by the Board

•             Reports of any investigative committee appointed by the Board

•             Memoranda of the Board’s counsel relating to investigations

•             Statements of persons interviewed by the Board or any committee of the Board

•             All information, interviews, reports, statements, or memoranda of any kind furnished to the Board or any committee of the Board

•             Any findings, conclusions, or recommendations resulting from proceedings of the Board or any committee of the Board, unless presented as evidence at a public hearing

•             Witness testimony, exhibits, and pleadings (except for the Administrative Complaint and Commission findings/orders) in contested case hearings held before the Medical Licensure Commission.

•             Personal information that would expose individuals to the risk of identity theft or other unlawful acts. Examples include social security numbers, dates of birth, driver’s license numbers, home addresses, personal telephone numbers, personal e-mail addresses, information pertaining to minors, financial account numbers, and any other information as to which the public informational value is outweighed by the individual privacy interests involved.

Questions?

If you have questions, e-mail our public records coordinators at public.records@albme.gov (Board of Medical Examiners) or public.records@almlc.gov (Medical Licensure Commission).

Notice to News Media

 News media representatives on deadline should contact the Office of the General Counsel at (334) 242-4116 for assistance. The Board will attempt to meet these deadlines.