(a) In order to make a determination of title insurance agent license eligibility, the commissioner may require fingerprints of initial applicants for a title insurance agent license, and the fingerprints and the fee required to perform the criminal history record checks shall be submitted to the Alabama Department of Public Safety and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for state and national criminal history record checks.

(b) The commissioner shall require a criminal history record check on each initial applicant for title insurance agent license pursuant to this section. The commissioner shall require each applicant to submit a full set of fingerprints, including a scanned file from a hard copy fingerprint, to allow the commissioner to obtain and receive national criminal history records from the FBI Criminal Justice Information Services Division.

(c) The commissioner may contract for the collection, transmission, and resubmission of fingerprints required pursuant to this section, and the fee for collecting, transmitting, and retaining fingerprints shall be payable directly to the contractor by the applicant. The commissioner may agree to a reasonable fingerprinting fee to be charged by the contractor, and both the contractor's fee and the fee required to perform the criminal history check shall be collected from the applicant by the contractor.

(d) The criminal history record information may be submitted to the commissioner instead of the Alabama Department of Public Safety.

(e) The commissioner shall treat and maintain an applicant's fingerprints and any criminal history record information obtained pursuant to this section as confidential and shall apply security measures consistent with the Criminal Justice Information Services Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation standards for the electronic storage of fingerprints and necessary identifying information and limit the use of records solely to the purposes authorized in this section. The fingerprints and any criminal history record information shall not be subject to subpoena, other than one issued in a criminal action or investigation, and shall be confidential.

(f) The commissioner, by regulation, may provide for the delayed enforcement of this section for up to 24 months from April 8, 2014, to allow for delayed implementation.