(a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(1) The power to make rules regulating the licensing of real estate brokers and salespersons includes the power to prohibit unqualified persons from being licensed as a real estate broker or salesperson.

(2) A primary goal of the provision of real estate regulation is to prioritize consumer protection in real estate transactions.

(3) The Alabama Real Estate Commission is in the best position to determine the real estate practices that prioritize consumer protection in real estate transactions.

(4) Prioritizing consumer protection may sometimes be at odds with the goals of state and federal antitrust laws, which include the prioritization of competition.

(5) It is the intent of the Legislature to immunize the Alabama Real Estate Commission and its members from liability under state and federal antitrust laws for the adoption of a rule that prioritizes consumer protection but may be anti-competitive.

(b) Subject to subsection (c), rules adopted under Section 34-27-8 may define and regulate the licensing of real estate brokers and salespersons in a way that prioritizes consumer protection, even if the rule is anti-competitive.

(c) A rule adopted under Section 34-27-8 may supplement or clarify any statutory definition, but may not conflict with any statute that defines an activity that requires licensing under this chapter.

(d) Nothing in this section shall be construed to constrict or expand the current rights and privileges of any individual governed by the Alabama Real Estate Commission beyond that which existed prior to the ruling in the United States Supreme Court decision in North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners v. FTC, 135 S. Ct. 1101 (2015).

(e) Nothing in this section shall be construed to constrict or expand the current duties or responsibilities of the members of the Alabama Real Estate Commission in any context outside of state or federal antitrust immunity beyond that which existed prior to the ruling in the United States Supreme Court decision in North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners v. FTC, 135 S. Ct. 1101 (2015).