An Alabama lawmaker’s proposed bill would drastically change how the Alabama High School Athletic Association awards its champions.

State Rep. Richie Whorton (R-Owens Cross Roads) pre-filed a bill last week that would separate private school and public school playoffs, awarding separate championships. Public and private schools would still be able to play another in the regular season, but compete separately for state titles in the postseason.

The proposed changes would begin during the 2019-20 school year. The bill, which is proposed for the Feb. 7 Legislative session reads:

“The Alabama High School Athletic Association shall adopt a rule to allow its public school members to compete only against each other for post regular season playoff games and state championships, and its nonpublic school members to compete only against each other for post regular season playoff games and state championships which shall be effective in the 2019-2020 school year and in subsequent years.”

This is the second time Whorton has introduced this type bill to the Alabama Legislature. Last March, he filed a similar bill following Madison Academy’s success in multiple sports over the past few years.

At the time that bill was filed, Madison Academy was in Class 3A, where the Madison private school had just won three straight football championships from 2013-15, three of four basketball championships since 2012 and the 2015 baseball championship.

Since then, Madison Academy has moved up to Class 4A, where the football team advanced to the semifinals in 2016. At private schools like Madison Academy, the student population is multiplied by 1.3 in order to determine AHSAA classification.

While no private school won a football state title in 2016, four of the seven volleyball champions were from private institutions.

The first bill never emerged from committee for a full vote in the Alabama House when it was introduced in March 2016.