HB503 Alabama 2014 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Mary Sue McClurkinCity Council

Republican

Co-Sponsors

Ken JohnsonMike BallChad FincherJim PattersonJim CarnsEd HenryJim McClendonLesley VanceSteve HurstLynn GreerRandy DavisDan Williams

Session

Regular Session 2014

Title

Schools, students taught at home by either private tutor or under church school law may participate in public K-12 extracurricular activities, Equal Access to Athletics Act

Summary

HB503 would let homeschooled students participate in public school athletic and extracurricular activities with equal access and funding.

What This Bill Does

Defines extracurricular to include athletics and school-sponsored teams and allows students taught at home by a private tutor or under church school law to join public school activities. Participation requires the student to meet the same rules as public students (fees, behavior, academics, and residency) and to follow district policies on serious offenses; church-school students must provide academic documentation (transcripts or approved testing/portfolio). The bill requires district insurance coverage for these students, allows participation in multiple activities if permitted, and counts these students for enrollment and funding at 10% of the per-student allocation to the public school of residence.

Who It Affects

• Students taught at home by a private tutor or under church school law who wish to participate in public school athletic or extracurricular activities, subject to the same rules as other students and the specified documentation and residency requirements.
• Public school districts and local boards of education, which would implement participation rules, handle billing for fees, provide insurance coverage, count these students for enrollment, and allocate 10% of per-student funding for each participating student.

Key Provisions

• Extracurricular activities are defined to include school-approved athletics and athletic teams.
• Home-educated students may participate in public school activities if they register, pay fees equal to public participants, meet behavior, academic, and residency standards, and comply with district policies (including felony/delinquent act considerations).
• Church-school students must provide academic documentation (transcripts or an acceptable testing/portfolio) to establish eligibility; they may participate if they meet similar standards and residency requirements.
• Students may participate in multiple activities at the same public school, if allowed, and cannot be blocked from competition solely because of their home-education status.
• The school district’s insurance must cover participating home-educated students, with any additional premium paid by the student if applicable.
• Participating students are considered enrolled for attendance counts, school classification, and partial funding, with the public school receiving 10% of the per-student state/local funds that would have been allocated to a resident public student.
• The bill sets that evaluation or participation requirements for home-educated students should not exceed those applied to other students, except for specific provisions in the act.
• The act notes an effective date of June 1, 2014 (or when signed into law), and acknowledges a constitutional provision related to local funding, but states the bill is structured to fall within specified exceptions.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Education