This bill would create the Youth Athlete Protection Act. This bill would require each local government that provides an opportunity for youth athletes to participate in organized sports to develop a Youth Athlete Protection Policy to prevent the abuse of youth athletes, set standards for appropriate conduct between coaches and youth athletes, and educate parents and coaches about mandatory reporter laws. This bill would require each local government to require coaches who are employees of or volunteers of the local government to comply with the Youth Athlete Protection Policy and undergo a criminal history background check. This bill would authorize a criminal history background check to be conducted by the Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency or a consumer reporting agency accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association. This bill would require local governments to conduct a search of the State Department of Education's Teacher Education and Certification web portal for any prospective coach who is, or has ever been, employed by a local board of education or the State Board of Education. This bill would require each coach to annually renew his or her criminal history background check. This bill would also provide immunity to local governments relating to the hiring of a coach or acceptance of a coach as a volunteer, with exceptions.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 15-20A-5