(a)(1) Each person newly elected or appointed as a city or county superintendent of education shall, prior to assuming office, attend and satisfactorily complete a training program on school finances and education law. This requirement shall be applicable upon the development and offering of the training program as provided in this section.

(2) The State Superintendent of Education, based upon reasonable cause, may allow a newly elected or appointed superintendent to attend and satisfactorily complete the training program after assuming office.

(3) Superintendents serving on May 31, 2001, may attend such training program.

(4) The Department of Education, or its designee, shall provide the training program at no cost.

(b)(1) The training program shall be formulated by a committee comprised of the State Superintendent of Education and each of the following:

a. A representative of the State Department of Education appointed by the State Board of Education.

b. A representative of the Council for Leaders in Alabama Schools, appointed by the governing body of the council.

c. A representative of the Alabama Education Association, appointed by the governing body of the association.

d. A representative of the Alabama Association of School Boards, appointed by the governing body of the association.

e. A representative of the Alabama Commission on Higher Education, appointed by the governing body of the commission.

(2) The committee shall determine each of the following:

a. The contents, scope, and curriculum of the program.

b. The duration of the program.

c. Locations and dates when the program would be offered.

d. The costs of developing the training program for school finance and law as well as the costs of validating and completing bias reviews for the required assessment program.

e. Other relevant matters relating to the development, implementation, and operation of the program.

(3) The committee shall recommend to the State Board of Education the inclusion of the school finance and law training program into all preparation programs for school administrators.

(4) The institutions of higher education shall use for the school finance and law courses only those professors who have satisfactorily completed the training and/or assessment program.

(c)(1) The State Board of Education, by rule, may provide further for the contents, scope, curriculum, duration, offerings, and other relevant matters relating to the development, implementation, and operation of the training program.

(2) The State Board of Education, by rule, may provide for the participation in all or a portion of the program by superintendents serving on May 31, 2001, and other appropriate school personnel.