HB388 Alabama 2023 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Arnold MooneyRepresentative

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2023

Title

Relating to athletic trainers; to create the Athletic Trainer Secondary School Incentive Program; to provide grants to local boards of education that meet certain requirements related to the use of athletic trainers in rural and Title I secondary schools; to authorize the Alabama Board of Athletic Trainers to adopt rules to administer the incentive program and the grant application process; to require grants issued from the incentive program to be provided as stipends to qualifying athletic trainers; and to limit each secondary school and athletic trainer to one grant per school year.

Summary

HB388 creates an Athletic Trainer Secondary School Incentive Program to provide stipends to athletic trainers in rural and Title I secondary schools through grants to local boards of education, with per-school and per-trainer limits.

What This Bill Does

The program, administered by the Alabama Board of Athletic Trainers, allows grants to local boards of education to recruit and retain athletic trainers at rural and Title I secondary schools. Each grant can be up to 7,500 dollars, with a program cap of 2 million dollars per school year, and funds may begin in the 2024-2025 school year depending on availability. Grants are paid as stipends to qualifying athletic trainers who provide at least 25 hours of athletic training services per week; if more than one trainer serves a school, the grant is divided among them, and each school and each trainer can receive only one grant or stipend per school year. The board can set rules and publish eligible schools; attestations are required; and there can be disciplinary action for falsifying hours.

Who It Affects

• Rural and Title I secondary schools, which may receive grants to pay stipends to athletic trainers who provide the required 25 hours per week of services to their students.
• Athletic trainers and local boards of education, who may apply for grants, distribute stipends, and must ensure hours documentation, one grant per school year per school, and one stipend per trainer per year.

Key Provisions

• Establishes the Athletic Trainer Secondary School Incentive Program to improve recruitment and retention of athletic trainers in rural and Title I secondary schools.
• Grants awarded to local boards of education; each grant not to exceed 7,500 dollars; program cap of 2,000,000 dollars per school year; grants begin in the 2024-2025 school year, subject to funds.
• Grants are issued as stipends to qualifying athletic trainers who provide at least 25 hours of athletic training services per week; if multiple trainers serve a school, the grant funds are divided among them.
• Each secondary school may receive only one grant per year and each athletic trainer may receive only one stipend per year; disciplinary action possible for falsifying hours.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.