(a) The Board of Heating and Air Conditioning Contractors as created by Act 82-547, 1982 Regular Session (Acts 1982, p. 900), is renamed the Board of Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Contractors. The authority of the board is expanded to allow the board to examine, certify, and regulate heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration on a statewide basis.

(b) The board shall consist of 12 members, who shall be citizens of this state and who shall be subject to confirmation by the Senate. The seven initial appointments shall be effective as of July 1, 1982, as follows: One member shall be appointed by the Governor for an initial term of one year, and shall be a licensed professional engineer; one member shall be appointed by the Governor for an initial term of four years and shall be a heating and air conditioning contractor; one member shall be appointed by the Lieutenant Governor for an initial term of three years and shall be a trade representative of an equipment manufacturer or supplier; one member shall be appointed by the Governor for an initial term of three years and shall be a consumer from the general public; one member shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives for an initial term of two years and shall be a trade representative of the service, repair parts industry; one member shall be appointed by the Lieutenant Governor for an initial term of two years, and shall be a representative from county or local inspection services department; and one member shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives for an initial term of three years, and shall be a consumer from the general public. Three additional members shall be appointed to serve four-year terms beginning on January 1, 2001. Each of these three additional members shall be heating and air conditioning or refrigeration contractors. One of these additional members shall be appointed by the Governor, one of these additional members shall be appointed by the Lieutenant Governor, and one of these additional members shall be appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate. An additional two members, who shall be heating and air conditioning contractors, shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives for initial terms of three years. Their successors, who shall be appointed by the same respective appointing authorities, and shall possess the same respective occupational qualifications, shall each serve not more than two consecutive terms of office of four years each and until their successors are appointed and qualified. The membership of the board shall be inclusive and reflect the racial, gender, geographic, urban/rural, and economic diversity of the state.

(c) All moneys, equipment, and property of the board created pursuant to Sections 34-31-1 through 34-31-17, inclusive, shall, effective July 1, 1982, be transferred to the board created in subsection (a). The board shall pay all money received under this chapter to the State Treasurer, who shall keep the money in a separate fund for the board. All money remaining at the end of the fiscal year which exceeds 25 percent of the board's budget for the previous year shall be transferred to the 501(c)(3) nonprofit Alabama Home Builders Foundation to be used exclusively for classroom training tools at educational facilities that provide heating, air conditioning and/or refrigeration curriculums to include any program approved or accredited by the State of Alabama, United States federal government, or any state or federal governmental agency or board. If, at any time, the Alabama Home Builders Foundation should lose its nonprofit status, those funds shall be transferred to the State General Fund.