(a) The board may recognize and issue, without examination and upon payment of a fee not in excess of five hundred dollars ($500) for each license, a reciprocal license for the practice of funeral directing or embalming to any person licensed as a funeral director or embalmer by any state, if the board makes an individual determination that the qualifications of the applicant meet or exceed the minimum qualifications required for funeral directors or embalmers in this state and that a written examination of such applicant would be superfluous.

(b) Applications shall be made on forms prescribed and furnished by the board. An applicant holding a funeral director or embalmer license from another state, and applying for a funeral director or embalmer license in Alabama shall be considered for licensing by reciprocity.

(c) Commencing on October 1, 2017, in addition to the requirements of subsections (a) and (b), an applicant for a funeral director or embalmer license shall submit to the board a form, sworn to by the applicant, that contains the name, date of birth, and Social Security number of the applicant, and two complete sets of fingerprints, for completion of a criminal history background check. The board shall submit the fingerprints to the Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency for a state criminal history record check. The fingerprints shall be forwarded by the agency to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for a national criminal history record check. Costs associated with conducting a criminal history background check shall be paid by the applicant. The board shall keep information received pursuant to this subsection confidential, except that information received and relied upon in denying the issuance of a funeral director or embalmer license may be disclosed if necessary to support the denial.

(d) The board, at the time of the application, shall make a reasonable determination that the applicant is a legal resident of the United States or legally present in this state. The board reserves the right to require applicants for reciprocity to submit to a personal interview or a written examination relating to the law as it pertains to the regulation of the funeral service profession in Alabama.

(e) The board shall issue a special work permit to a qualified funeral director or embalmer when the board determines that the applicant satisfies all requirements for reciprocity and a fee, not exceeding one hundred dollars ($100), is received by the board. A special work permit shall expire on the date of the next regular board meeting occurring after issuance.