1. (a) A local board of education may apply for a grant from the incentive program if, during the academic school year, an athletic trainer provided an average of at least 25 hours of athletic training services per week to a rural secondary school or Title I secondary school under the purview of the local board of education. Any athletic training services provided by an athletic trainer may be counted towards the required hours, provided that the athletic trainer provides the athletic training services in one of the following manners:

   1. (1) As an employee of the local board of education.
   2. (2) As an employee of a health care facility.
   3. (3) As a participant in a third-party sports medicine program.

2. (b)

   1. (1) The board shall compile a list of schools eligible for grants from the incentive program and publish the list on its website. The list shall be compiled in the following manner:

      1. a. For rural secondary schools, by considering census data to determine which secondary schools are not located in urbanized areas of 50,000 or more individuals.
      2. b. For Title I secondary schools, by considering federal law.
   2. (2) Local boards of education meeting the application criteria may apply for the incentive program following the end of the academic school year, during a time period to be determined by the board.

(Act 2023-341, §3.)