SB 232 — Establishing WV Secondary School Athletic Trainer and Career Technical Education Program Act

CS for SB 232 WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION IntroducedCommittee FISCALSubstitute for Senate Bill 232 NOTE By Senator Fuller [Introduced[Reported JanuaryFebruary 14,4, 2026;2026, from the Committee on Education] CS for SB 232 A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding a new article, designated §18-14-1, §18-14-2, §18-14-3, §18-14-4, §18-14-5, §18-14-6, and §18-14-7, relating to the creation of the West Virginia Public Secondary School Athletic Trainer and Career Technical Education Program Act;

referredproviding tofor thefindings, Committeepurpose, onand Education;intent;

andproviding thenfor toestablishment of the Committeefive-year onprogram Finance]for Intr SB 232 2026R2123 A BILL to amend the Codeplacement of Westlicensed Virginia,athletic 1931,trainers asin amended,all bypublic addingsecondary aschools newby article,having designatedthe §30-20B-1,athletic §30-20B-2,trainer §30-20B-3,on §30-20B-4,staff §30-20B-5,or §30-20B-6,contracted andthrough §30-20B-7, relating to the creationcounty ofboard; the West Virginia Secondary School Athletic Trainer and Career Technical Education Program Act;

providingrequiring forannual aappropriation shortto title;fund the program;

providing for findingsexpansion of the current career and atechnical purpose;education sports medicine programs;

providingrequiring alignment with accreditation and certification standards necessary for establishmentstudents ofto thecontinue five-yeartheir program;education in athletic training or related health care fields at institutions of higher education;

providingrequiring forWest careerVirginia andBoard technicalof educationEducation programs;rule to implement;

ensuringrequiring program development and maintenance in compliance with WVSSACWest regulations;Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission rules;

providingrequiring forcommission workforceto recruitmentprovide andcertain financialguidance; incentives;

andallowing providingstate forto ause timelinethe andWest effectiveVirginia date.Underwood-Smith Loan Repayment Program to provide student loan payments to certain individuals;

and providing for a timeline of implementation.

ARTICLE 20B.14.

WEST VIRGINIA PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOL ATHLETIC TRAINER AND CAREER TECHNICAL EDUCATION PROGRAM ACT.

§30-20B-1.§18-14-1.

This article shall be known and cited as the "West Virginia Public Secondary School Athletic Trainer and Career Technical Education Program Act." §30-20B-2.§18-14-2.

(a) The Legislature finds that access to licensed athletic trainers in public secondary schools is essential to ensuring the safety, health, and well-being of student-athletes.

1 CS for SB 232 (b) The purpose of this article is to establish a five-year program to place licensed athletic trainers in all public secondary high schools in West Virginia andby tohaving createthe career and technical education (CTE) programs for athletic trainingtrainer inon eachstaff highor schoolcontracted through the Boardcounty ofboard; Education.

(c)and Thisto articleensure willthat becareer inand fulltechnical complianceeducation with(CTE) theprograms rulesfor andathletic regulationstraining ofis theavailable Westto Virginiaall Secondarypublic Schoolhigh Activitiesschool Commissionstudents (WVSSAC).in the state.

(d)(c) The article is also intended to serve as a Healthhealth and Safetysafety initiative to ensure student- athletes at the public secondary level receive appropriate medical attention, injury prevention resources, and emergency care when needed.

Intr§18-14-3. SB 232 2026R2123 §30-20B-3.

(a) The West Virginia Board of Education, in collaboration with the West Virginia DepartmentBoard of HealthPhysical Facilities,Therapy, shall implement a five-year program for the placement of licensed athletic trainers in all public secondary highschools schools.by having the athletic trainer on staff or contracted through the county board.

(b) The program shall be fully implemented by July 1, 2031,2032, at which time all public secondary schools mustshall have a licensed athletic trainer on staff.staff or contracted through the county board.

(c) Funding for the program shall be appropriated annually byto the LegislatureWest Virginia Board of Education to support the expansion of career and technical sports medicine programs throughout the state and the recruitment, hiring,hiring or contracting with, and retention of athletic trainers.trainers, including distributions to the county boards of education for their expenses in hiring or contracting with and retaining a licensed athletic trainer for every public secondary school.

§30-20B-4.If appropriations for this purpose are insufficient, the state board shall request a supplemental appropriation in a sufficient amount to support the recruitment, hiring or contracting with, and retention of athletic trainers pursuant to this section.

§18-14-4.

(a) TheThere Westare Virginiacurrently Boardnine of Education has established career and technical education (CTE)sports medicine programs forthroughout athleticthe training.state.

ThisThe programWest canVirginia serveBoard eachof highEducation schoolshall toexpand createthese aprograms pipelineto 2 CS for studentsSB interested232 inensure pursuingthat careersall inpublic sportshigh medicineschool andstudents athletichave training.access to a sports medicine program.

(b)This Schoolexpansion districtsshall thatbe alreadydone havein a licensed athletic trainer for all sports shall have the optionmost tocost-efficient addmanner thefeasible careerthrough andmethods technicalsuch educationas: program.

(c)(1) TheseTransporting programsstudents shallfrom alignpublic withhigh accreditationschools andwithout certificationa standardssports necessarymedicine forprogram students to continuea theirpublic educationhigh inschool athletic training or relatedmulticounty healthcareer careand fieldstechnical ateducation institutionscenter ofthat higherdoes educationhave ina Westsports Virginia.medicine program;

(d)(2) TheEach rulesinstructor andtraveling regulations governing career and technical education programs shall be developed and maintained by the West Virginia Department of Education to ensuremultiple consistencypublic andhigh adherenceschools; to state educational standards.

§30-20B-5.or (3) Any other efficient method of giving public high school students access to a sports medicine program pursuant to this subsection.

(b) These programs shall align with accreditation and certification standards necessary for students to continue their education in athletic training or related health care fields at institutions of higher education in West Virginia.

(c) The State Board of Education shall promulgate rules pursuant to §29A-3B-1 et seq.

to implement this section.

§18-14-5.

(a) The program shall be developed and maintained in accordance with allthe rules andof regulations established by the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission.

(b) The WVSSACWest Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission shall provide guidance andin oversightfacilitating to ensure the successful implementation of athletic trainer placements and adherence to best practices in student-athlete health and safety.

Intr§18-14-6. SB 232 2026R2123 §30-20B-6.

(a) To address workforce shortages, the state shallmay utilizeuse the West Virginia financialUnderwood- incentivesSmith forLoan healthRepayment careProgram professionals' program to provide student loan repaymentrepayments for individuals who obtain a degree in athletic training from a West Virginia Higher Education Institution and commit to working as a licensed athletic trainer in a public secondary school forin athis minimumstate: of two years.

(b)Provided, TheThat Westto Virginiabe Highereligible Educationfor Policythe Commission,loan inrepayments coordinationpursuant withto thethis Boardsection, ofthe Education,individual shall developwork criteriain fora loandual repaymentcapacity eligibility,as application,both a teacher and distributionan ofathletic funds.trainer.