Florida Senate - 2015 CS for SB 1480
By the Committee on Education Pre-K - 12; and Senator Stargel
581-04209-15 20151480c1
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to extracurricular activities;
3 amending s. 1006.20, F.S.; providing for review of the
4 FHSAA’s performance of duties; providing requirements
5 regarding fees and admission prices; revising
6 provisions regarding eligibility and transfer;
7 providing procedures for resolving student eligibility
8 disputes; requiring the Florida High School Athletic
9 Association (FHSAA) to adopt guidelines, provide
10 resources, and develop training courses relating to
11 sports ethics; providing that member schools must meet
12 certain requirements relating to the sports ethics
13 guidelines, resources, and training courses provided
14 by the FHSAA; revising the governing structure of the
15 FHSAA; deleting provisions relating to the FHSAA’s
16 board of directors, representative assembly, public
17 liaison advisory committee, and appeals committees;
18 deleting requirements with respect to amendments to
19 the FHSAA’s bylaws; amending s. 1006.15, F.S.;
20 establishing guiding principles for extracurricular
21 activities; providing definitions; revising academic
22 eligibility requirements; specifying grounds for
23 student ineligibility for participation in
24 interscholastic athletics; specifying conditions under
25 which students who are enrolled in public schools,
26 certain private schools, or home education programs
27 may participate in the extracurricular activities of a
28 public school; deleting obsolete provisions; amending
29 s. 1006.16, F.S.; revising insurance requirements to
30 include students who participate in nonathletic
31 extracurricular activities; requiring that insurance
32 coverage provided by district school boards for
33 participants in extracurricular activities include
34 certain students; amending s. 1006.19, F.S.; providing
35 a period within which an audit of a nonprofit
36 association’s records must be provided to the Auditor
37 General; requiring the Auditor General to conduct
38 operational audits of the nonprofit association’s
39 accounts and records; amending s. 1002.20, F.S.;
40 conforming cross-references; revising provisions
41 related to participation in extracurricular
42 activities; amending ss. 1002.33, F.S.; conforming
43 cross-references; providing an effective date.
44
45 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
46
47 Section 1. Section 1006.20, Florida Statutes, is amended to
48 read:
49 1006.20 Athletics in public K-12 schools.—
50 (1) GOVERNING NONPROFIT ASSOCIATION ORGANIZATION.—The
51 Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) is designated
52 as the governing nonprofit association for purposes of
53 membership in the National Federation of State High School
54 Associations organization of athletics in Florida public
55 schools. Following completion of each operational audit
56 conducted pursuant to s. 1006.19, the Commissioner of Education
57 shall review the FHSAA’s performance in governing
58 interscholastic athletics in compliance with this part,
59 including the guiding principles for student eligibility for
60 extracurricular activities. If, at any time, the FHSAA fails to
61 meet the provisions of this part section, the commissioner, with
62 the approval of the State Board of Education, shall designate
63 another a nonprofit association organization to govern
64 interscholastic athletics in this state and serve as Florida’s
65 voting member association of the National Federation of State
66 High School Associations athletics with the approval of the
67 State Board of Education. The FHSAA is not a state agency as
68 defined in s. 120.52 but is. The FHSAA shall be subject to ss.
69 1006.15-1006.19. Any special event fees, sanctioning fees,
70 including third-party sanctioning fees, or contest receipts
71 collected annually by the FHSAA may not exceed its actual costs
72 to perform the function or duty that is the subject of or
73 justification for the fee the provisions of s. 1006.19. The
74 FHSAA shall offer spectators seeking admission to athletic
75 competitions the option of purchasing a single-day pass or a
76 multiple-day pass that is at a cost below that which one would
77 pay on a per-event basis for the same number of contests A
78 private school that wishes to engage in high school athletic
79 competition with a public high school may become a member of the
80 FHSAA. Any high school in the state, including private schools,
81 traditional public schools, charter schools, virtual schools,
82 and home education cooperatives, may become a member of the
83 FHSAA and participate in the activities of the FHSAA. However,
84 Membership in the FHSAA is not mandatory for any school. FHSAA
85 shall allow a school the option of joining the association as a
86 full-time member or on a per sport basis and may not prohibit or
87 discourage any school from simultaneously maintaining membership
88 in FHSAA and another athletic association. The FHSAA may not
89 deny or discourage interscholastic competition between its
90 member schools and nonmember non-FHSAA member Florida schools,
91 including members of another athletic association governing
92 organization, and may not take any retributory or discriminatory
93 action against any of its member schools that participate in
94 interscholastic competition with nonmember non-FHSAA member
95 Florida schools. The FHSAA may not unreasonably withhold its
96 approval of an application to become an affiliate member of the
97 National Federation of State High School Associations submitted
98 by any other association organization that governs
99 interscholastic athletic competition in this state which meets
100 the requirements of this section. The commissioner may identify
101 other associations that govern interscholastic athletic
102 competition in compliance with this section The bylaws of the
103 FHSAA are the rules by which high school athletic programs in
104 its member schools, and the students who participate in them,
105 are governed, unless otherwise specifically provided by statute.
106 For the purposes of this section, “high school” includes grades
107 6 through 12.
108 (2) STUDENT ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS; RECRUITING ADOPTION
109 OF BYLAWS, POLICIES; ELIGIBILITY DISPUTE RESOLUTION, OR
110 GUIDELINES.—The FHSAA shall:
111 (a) The FHSAA shall adopt bylaws that, unless specifically
112 provided by statute, Establish eligibility requirements for all
113 students who participate in high school athletic competition in
114 its member schools. A The bylaws governing residence and
115 transfer shall allow the student is to be eligible in the school
116 in which he or she first enrolls each school year or the school
117 in which the student makes himself or herself a candidate for an
118 athletic team by engaging in a practice before prior to
119 enrolling in the school. A student who transfers The bylaws
120 shall also allow the student to be eligible in the school to
121 which the student has transferred during the school year is
122 eligible in the school to which he or she transfers if the
123 transfer is made by a deadline established by the FHSAA, which
124 may not be prior to the date authorized for the beginning of
125 practice for the sport. These transfers shall be allowed
126 pursuant to the district school board policies in the case of
127 transfer to a public school or pursuant to the private school
128 policies in the case of transfer to a private school. The
129 student shall be eligible in that school so long as he or she
130 remains enrolled in that school. Subsequent eligibility shall be
131 determined and enforced through the FHSAA’s bylaws. Requirements
132 governing eligibility and transfer between member schools shall
133 be applied similarly to public school students and private
134 school students.
135 (b) The FHSAA shall adopt bylaws that specifically Prohibit
136 the recruiting of students for athletic purposes and. The bylaws
137 shall prescribe penalties and an appeals process for athletic
138 recruiting violations. If it is determined that a school has
139 recruited a student in violation of FHSAA bylaws, the FHSAA may
140 require the school to participate in a higher classification for
141 the sport in which the recruited student competes for a minimum
142 of one classification cycle, in addition to any other
143 appropriate fine and sanction imposed on the school, its
144 coaches, or adult representatives who commit violate recruiting
145 violations rules. A student may not be declared ineligible based
146 on a recruiting violation only if of recruiting rules unless the
147 student or parent has committed an act specified in s.
148 1006.15(4)(b)1.b. or the FHSAA has imposed sanctions against the
149 individuals or member school engaging in recruiting and the
150 student or the parent has committed an act specified in s.
151 1006.15(4)(b)1.c. The FHSAA may not limit the competition of a
152 student athlete prospectively for a rule violation by his or her
153 school, the school’s coach, or the student athlete’s adult
154 representative. The FHSAA may not punish a student athlete for
155 an eligibility or recruiting violation perpetrated by a
156 teammate, coach, or administrator. A contest may not be
157 forfeited for an inadvertent eligibility violation unless the
158 coach or a school administrator should have known of the
159 violation. Contests may not be forfeited for other eligibility
160 violations or recruiting violations in excess of the number of
161 contests from which the coaches and adult representatives
162 responsible for the violations are prospectively suspended. The
163 mass distribution of untargeted mailings, electronic mailings,
164 or printed guides or booklets by or on behalf of a member school
165 which include detailed information regarding the member school’s
166 interscholastic athletic programs may not be considered
167 violations of the FHSAA’s policies falsified any enrollment or
168 eligibility document or accepted any benefit or any promise of
169 benefit if such benefit is not generally available to the
170 school’s students or family members or is based in any way on
171 athletic interest, potential, or performance.
172 (c) The FHSAA shall adopt bylaws that Require all students
173 participating in interscholastic athletic competition or who are
174 candidates for an interscholastic athletic team to
175 satisfactorily pass a medical evaluation each year before prior
176 to participating in interscholastic athletic competition or
177 engaging in any practice, tryout, workout, or other physical
178 activity associated with the student’s candidacy for an
179 interscholastic athletic team. Such medical evaluation may be
180 administered only by a practitioner licensed under chapter 458,
181 chapter 459, chapter 460, or s. 464.012, and in good standing
182 with the practitioner’s regulatory board. The FHSAA bylaws shall
183 establish requirements for eliciting a student’s medical history
184 and performing the medical evaluation required under this
185 paragraph, which shall include a physical assessment of the
186 student’s physical capabilities to participate in
187 interscholastic athletic competition as contained in a uniform
188 preparticipation physical evaluation and history form. The
189 evaluation form shall incorporate the recommendations of the
190 American Heart Association for participation in cardiovascular
191 screening and shall provide a place for the signature of the
192 practitioner performing the evaluation with an attestation that
193 each examination procedure listed on the form was performed by
194 the practitioner or by someone under the direct supervision of
195 the practitioner. The form shall also contain a place for the
196 practitioner to indicate if a referral to another practitioner
197 was made in lieu of completion of a certain examination
198 procedure. The form shall provide a place for the practitioner
199 to whom the student was referred to complete the remaining
200 sections and attest to that portion of the examination. The
201 preparticipation physical evaluation form shall advise students
202 to complete a cardiovascular assessment and shall include
203 information concerning alternative cardiovascular evaluation and
204 diagnostic tests. Results of such medical evaluation must be
205 provided to the school. A No student is not shall be eligible to
206 participate in any interscholastic athletic competition or
207 engage in any practice, tryout, workout, or other physical
208 activity associated with the student’s candidacy for an
209 interscholastic athletic team until the results of the medical
210 evaluation are have been received and approved by the school.
211 (d) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (c), allow
212 a student to may participate in interscholastic athletic
213 competition or be a candidate for an interscholastic athletic
214 team if the parent of the student objects in writing to the
215 student undergoing a medical evaluation because such evaluation
216 is contrary to his or her religious tenets or practices.
217 However, in such case, there shall be no liability on the part
218 of any person or entity in a position to otherwise rely on the
219 results of such medical evaluation for any damages resulting
220 from the student’s injury or death arising directly from the
221 student’s participation in interscholastic athletics where an
222 undisclosed medical condition that would have been revealed in
223 the medical evaluation is a proximate cause of the injury or
224 death.
225 (e) The FHSAA shall adopt bylaws that Regulate persons who
226 conduct investigations on behalf of the FHSAA. The bylaws shall
227 include provisions that require An investigator must to:
228 1. Undergo level 2 background screening under s. 435.04,
229 establishing that the investigator has not committed any
230 disqualifying offense listed in s. 435.04, unless the
231 investigator can provide proof of compliance with level 2
232 screening standards submitted within the previous 5 years to
233 meet any professional licensure requirements, provided:
234 a. The investigator has not had a break in service from a
235 position that requires level 2 screening for more than 90 days;
236 and
237 b. The investigator submits, under penalty of perjury, an
238 affidavit verifying that the investigator has not committed any
239 disqualifying offense listed in s. 435.04 and is in full
240 compliance with this paragraph.
241 2. Be appointed as an investigator by the FHSAA executive
242 director.
243 3. Carry a photo identification card that shows the FHSAA
244 name and, logo, and the investigator’s official title.
245 4. Adhere to the following guidelines:
246 a. Investigate only those alleged violations assigned by
247 the FHSAA executive director or the board of directors.
248 b. Conduct interviews on Monday through Friday between the
249 hours of 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. only, unless previously agreed to by
250 the interviewee.
251 c. Allow the parent of any student being interviewed to be
252 present during the interview.
253 d. Search residences or other private areas only with the
254 permission of the FHSAA executive director and the written
255 consent of the student’s parent and only with a parent or a
256 representative of the parent present.
257 (f) The FHSAA shall adopt bylaws that Establish sanctions
258 for coaches who have committed major violations of the FHSAA’s
259 bylaws and policies.
260 1. Major violations include, but are not limited to,
261 knowingly allowing an ineligible student to participate in a
262 contest representing a member school in an interscholastic
263 contest or committing a violation of the FHSAA’s recruiting or
264 sports ethics sportsmanship policies.
265 2. Sanctions placed upon an individual coach may include,
266 but are not limited to, prohibiting or suspending the coach from
267 coaching, participating in, or attending any athletic activity
268 sponsored, recognized, or sanctioned by the FHSAA and the member
269 school for which the coach committed the violation. If a coach
270 is sanctioned by the FHSAA and the coach transfers to another
271 member school, those sanctions remain in full force and effect
272 during the term of the sanction.
273 3. If a member school is assessed a financial penalty as a
274 result of a coach committing a major violation, the coach shall
275 reimburse the member school before being allowed to coach,
276 participate in, or attend any athletic activity sponsored,
277 recognized, or sanctioned by the FHSAA and a member school.
278 4. The FHSAA shall establish a due process procedure for
279 coaches sanctioned under this paragraph, consistent with the
280 appeals procedures set forth in subsection (7).
281 (g) Provide a process for the resolution of student
282 eligibility disputes. The FHSAA shall provide an opportunity to
283 resolve eligibility issues through an informal conference
284 procedure. The FHSAA must provide written notice to the student
285 athlete, parent, and member school stating specific findings of
286 fact that support a determination of ineligibility. The student
287 athlete must request an informal conference if he or she intends
288 to contest the charges. The informal conference must be held
289 within 10 days after receipt of the student athlete’s request.
290 If the eligibility dispute is not resolved at the informal
291 conference, the FHSAA shall provide a process for the timely and
292 cost-effective resolution of an eligibility dispute using a
293 neutral third party, including the use of retired or former
294 judges, mediation, or arbitration. The neutral third party shall
295 be selected by the parent of the student athlete from a list
296 maintained by the FHSAA. A final determination regarding the
297 eligibility dispute must be issued no later than 30 days after
298 the informal conference. The FHSAA shall adopt bylaws
299 establishing the process for resolving eligibility disputes must
300 and standards by which FHSAA determinations of eligibility are
301 made. Such bylaws shall provide that:
302 1. Ineligibility must be established by clear and
303 convincing evidence.;
304 2. Student athletes, parents, and schools must have notice
305 of the initiation of any investigation or other inquiry into
306 eligibility and may present, to the investigator and to the
307 individual or body making the eligibility determination, any
308 information or evidence that is credible, persuasive, and of a
309 kind reasonably prudent persons rely upon in the conduct of
310 serious affairs.;
311 3. An investigator may not determine matters of eligibility
312 but must submit information and evidence to the individual or
313 body designated by the FHSAA executive director or a person
314 designated by the executive director or by the board of
315 directors for an unbiased and objective determination of
316 eligibility.; and
317 4. A determination of ineligibility must be made in
318 writing, setting forth the findings of fact and specific
319 violation upon which the decision is based.
320 5. Any proceedings concerning student athlete eligibility
321 must be held in the county in which the student athlete resides
322 and may be conducted by telephone, videoconference, or other
323 electronic means.
324 6. A student athlete may not be declared ineligible to
325 participate in athletic competition until a final decision is
326 issued by the neutral third party unless the determination of
327 ineligibility is based on s. 1006.15(4)(b)1.a., e., or f. It is
328 the responsibility of the member school to assess the facts
329 underlying the eligibility dispute and any potential penalties
330 that may result from a determination of ineligibility in
331 deciding whether to allow the student athlete to continue to
332 participate before a final eligibility determination.
333 (h) In lieu of bylaws adopted under paragraph (g), the
334 FHSAA may adopt bylaws providing as a minimum the procedural
335 safeguards of ss. 120.569 and 120.57, making appropriate
336 provision for appointment of unbiased and qualified hearing
337 officers.
338 (i) The FHSAA bylaws may not limit the competition of
339 student athletes prospectively for rule violations of their
340 school or its coaches or their adult representatives. The FHSAA
341 bylaws may not unfairly punish student athletes for eligibility
342 or recruiting violations perpetrated by a teammate, coach, or
343 administrator. Contests may not be forfeited for inadvertent
344 eligibility violations unless the coach or a school
345 administrator should have known of the violation. Contests may
346 not be forfeited for other eligibility violations or recruiting
347 violations in excess of the number of contests that the coaches
348 and adult representatives responsible for the violations are
349 prospectively suspended.
350 (h)(j) The FHSAA shall Adopt guidelines to educate athletic
351 coaches, officials, administrators, and student athletes and
352 their parents about of the nature and risk of concussion and
353 head injury.
354 (i)(k) The FHSAA shall adopt bylaws or policies that
355 Require the parent of a student who is participating in
356 interscholastic athletic competition or who is a candidate for
357 an interscholastic athletic team to sign and return an informed
358 consent that explains the nature and risk of concussion and head
359 injury, including the risk of continuing to play after
360 concussion or head injury, each year before participating in
361 interscholastic athletic competition or engaging in any
362 practice, tryout, workout, or other physical activity associated
363 with the student’s candidacy for an interscholastic athletic
364 team.
365 (j)(l) The FHSAA shall adopt bylaws or policies that
366 Require each student athlete who is suspected of sustaining a
367 concussion or head injury in a practice or competition to be
368 immediately removed from the activity. A student athlete who has
369 been removed from an activity may not return to practice or
370 competition until the student submits to the school a written
371 medical clearance to return stating that the student athlete no
372 longer exhibits signs, symptoms, or behaviors consistent with a
373 concussion or other head injury. Medical clearance must be
374 authorized by the appropriate health care practitioner trained
375 in the diagnosis, evaluation, and management of concussions as
376 defined by the Sports Medicine Advisory Committee of the Florida
377 High School Athletic Association.
378 (k)(m) Establish The FHSAA shall adopt bylaws for the
379 establishment and duties of a sports medicine advisory committee
380 composed of the following members:
381 1. Eight physicians licensed under chapter 458 or chapter
382 459, with at least one member licensed under chapter 459.
383 2. One chiropractor licensed under chapter 460.
384 3. One podiatrist licensed under chapter 461.
385 4. One dentist licensed under chapter 466.
386 5. Three athletic trainers licensed under part XIII of
387 chapter 468.
388 6. One member who is a current or retired head coach of a
389 high school in the state.
390 (l) Adopt guidelines, provide resources, and develop a
391 training course to promote sports ethics in interscholastic
392 athletics and require each member school to:
393 1. Establish policies that promote sports ethics in its
394 interscholastic athletic programs.
395 2. Educate, on a continuing basis, student athletes,
396 athletic coaches, and administrators regarding these policies.
397 3. Annually administer the sports ethics training course to
398 student athletes, athletic coaches, and administrators.
399 4. Annually certify compliance with this paragraph by a
400 deadline established by the FHSAA.
401
402 In developing the sports ethics training course, the FHSAA may
403 provide for multiple modes of delivery, including in-person
404 seminars or videoconferencing, webinars, or other electronic
405 means.
406 (3) GOVERNING STRUCTURE OF THE FHSAA.—
407 (a) The FHSAA shall operate as a representative democracy
408 in which the sovereign authority is within its member schools
409 and the parents of students participating in interscholastic
410 athletics within those schools. Except as provided in this
411 section, the FHSAA shall govern its affairs through its bylaws.
412 (b) Each member school, on its annual application for
413 membership, shall name its official representative to the FHSAA.
414 This representative must be either the school principal or his
415 or her designee. That designee must either be an assistant
416 principal or athletic director housed within that same school.
417 (c) The governing board of the FHSAA shall consist of 16
418 members composed proportionately of representatives from
419 traditional public schools, public schools of choice, private
420 schools, home education cooperatives, and parents of student
421 athletes who are enrolled in such schools or programs. The
422 governing board must also be constituted in a manner that
423 provides for equitable representation among the various regions
424 of the state where the association’s member schools are located.
425 Any additional policymaking body established by the FHSAA must
426 provide for proportionate representation of schools, programs,
427 parents, and regions of the state as described in this paragraph
428 FHSAA’s membership shall be divided along existing county lines
429 into four contiguous and compact administrative regions, each
430 containing an equal or nearly equal number of member schools to
431 ensure equitable representation on the FHSAA’s board of
432 directors, representative assembly, and appeals committees.
433 (d) The FHSAA shall annually require each member of the
434 governing board or other policymaking body to attend nonprofit
435 governance training, which must include government in the
436 sunshine, conflicts of interest, ethics, and student athlete
437 centered decisionmaking consistent with the guiding principles
438 for participation in extracurricular activities under s.
439 1006.15.
440 (4) BOARD OF DIRECTORS.—
441 (a) The executive authority of the FHSAA shall be vested in
442 its board of directors. Any entity that appoints members to the
443 board of directors shall examine the ethnic and demographic
444 composition of the board when selecting candidates for
445 appointment and shall, to the greatest extent possible, make
446 appointments that reflect state demographic and population
447 trends. The board of directors shall be composed of 16 persons,
448 as follows:
449 1. Four public member school representatives, one elected
450 from among its public school representative members within each
451 of the four administrative regions.
452 2. Four nonpublic member school representatives, one
453 elected from among its nonpublic school representative members
454 within each of the four administrative regions.
455 3. Three representatives appointed by the commissioner, one
456 appointed from the two northernmost administrative regions and
457 one appointed from the two southernmost administrative regions.
458 The third representative shall be appointed to balance the board
459 for diversity or state population trends, or both.
460 4. Two district school superintendents, one elected from
461 the two northernmost administrative regions by the members in
462 those regions and one elected from the two southernmost
463 administrative regions by the members in those regions.
464 5. Two district school board members, one elected from the
465 two northernmost administrative regions by the members in those
466 regions and one elected from the two southernmost administrative
467 regions by the members in those regions.
468 6. The commissioner or his or her designee from the
469 department executive staff.
470 (b) A quorum of the board of directors shall consist of
471 nine members.
472 (c) The board of directors shall elect a president and a
473 vice president from among its members. These officers shall also
474 serve as officers of the FHSAA.
475 (d) Members of the board of directors shall serve terms of
476 3 years and are eligible to succeed themselves only once. A
477 member of the board of directors, other than the commissioner or
478 his or her designee, may serve a maximum of 6 consecutive years.
479 The FHSAA’s bylaws shall establish a rotation of terms to ensure
480 that a majority of the members’ terms do not expire
481 concurrently.
482 (e) The authority and duties of the board of directors,
483 acting as a body and in accordance with the FHSAA’s bylaws, are
484 as follows:
485 1. To act as the incorporated FHSAA’s board of directors
486 and to fulfill its obligations as required by the FHSAA’s
487 charter and articles of incorporation.
488 2. To establish such guidelines, regulations, policies, and
489 procedures as are authorized by the bylaws.
490 3. To employ an FHSAA executive director, who shall have
491 the authority to waive the bylaws of the FHSAA in order to
492 comply with statutory changes.
493 4. To levy annual dues and other fees and to set the
494 percentage of contest receipts to be collected by the FHSAA.
495 5. To approve the budget of the FHSAA.
496 6. To organize and conduct statewide interscholastic
497 competitions, which may or may not lead to state championships,
498 and to establish the terms and conditions for these
499 competitions.
500 7. To act as an administrative board in the interpretation
501 of, and final decision on, all questions and appeals arising
502 from the directing of interscholastic athletics of member
503 schools.
504 (5) REPRESENTATIVE ASSEMBLY.—
505 (a) The legislative authority of the FHSAA is vested in its
506 representative assembly.
507 (b) The representative assembly shall be composed of the
508 following:
509 1. An equal number of member school representatives from
510 each of the four administrative regions.
511 2. Four district school superintendents, one elected from
512 each of the four administrative regions by the district school
513 superintendents in their respective administrative regions.
514 3. Four district school board members, one elected from
515 each of the four administrative regions by the district school
516 board members in their respective administrative regions.
517 4. The commissioner or his or her designee from the
518 department executive staff.
519 (c) The FHSAA’s bylaws shall establish the number of member
520 school representatives to serve in the representative assembly
521 from each of the four administrative regions and shall establish
522 the method for their selection.
523 (d) No member of the board of directors other than the
524 commissioner or his or her designee can serve in the
525 representative assembly.
526 (e) The representative assembly shall elect a chairperson
527 and a vice chairperson from among its members.
528 (f) Elected members of the representative assembly shall
529 serve terms of 2 years and are eligible to succeed themselves
530 for two additional terms. An elected member, other than the
531 commissioner or his or her designee, may serve a maximum of 6
532 consecutive years in the representative assembly.
533 (g) A quorum of the representative assembly consists of one
534 more than half of its members.
535 (h) The authority of the representative assembly is limited
536 to its sole duty, which is to consider, adopt, or reject any
537 proposed amendments to the FHSAA’s bylaws.
538 (i) The representative assembly shall meet as a body
539 annually. A two-thirds majority of the votes cast by members
540 present is required for passage of any proposal.
541 (6) PUBLIC LIAISON ADVISORY COMMITTEE.—
542 (a) The FHSAA shall establish, sustain, fund, and provide
543 staff support to a public liaison advisory committee composed of
544 the following:
545 1. The commissioner or his or her designee.
546 2. A member public school principal.
547 3. A member private school principal.
548 4. A member school principal who is a member of a racial
549 minority.
550 5. An active athletic director.
551 6. An active coach, who is employed full time by a member
552 school.
553 7. A student athlete.
554 8. A district school superintendent.
555 9. A district school board member.
556 10. A member of the Florida House of Representatives.
557 11. A member of the Florida Senate.
558 12. A parent of a high school student.
559 13. A member of a home education association.
560 14. A representative of the business community.
561 15. A representative of the news media.
562 (b) No member of the board of directors, committee on
563 appeals, or representative assembly is eligible to serve on the
564 public liaison advisory committee.
565 (c) The public liaison advisory committee shall elect a
566 chairperson and vice chairperson from among its members.
567 (d) The authority and duties of the public liaison advisory
568 committee are as follows:
569 1. To act as a conduit through which the general public may
570 have input into the decisionmaking process of the FHSAA and to
571 assist the FHSAA in the development of procedures regarding the
572 receipt of public input and disposition of complaints related to
573 high school athletic and competition programs.
574 2. To conduct public hearings annually in each of the four
575 administrative regions during which interested parties may
576 address issues regarding the effectiveness of the rules,
577 operation, and management of the FHSAA.
578 3. To conduct an annual evaluation of the FHSAA as a whole
579 and present a report of its findings, conclusion, and
580 recommendations to the board of directors, to the commissioner,
581 and to the respective education committees of the Florida Senate
582 and the Florida House of Representatives. The recommendations
583 must delineate policies and procedures that will improve the
584 implementation and oversight of high school athletic programs by
585 the FHSAA.
586 (e) The public liaison advisory committee shall meet four
587 times annually. Additional meetings may be called by the
588 committee chairperson, the FHSAA president, or the FHSAA
589 executive director.
590 (7) APPEALS.—
591 (a) The FHSAA shall establish a procedure of due process
592 which ensures each student the opportunity to appeal an
593 unfavorable ruling with regard to his or her eligibility to
594 compete. The initial appeal shall be made to a committee on
595 appeals within the administrative region in which the student
596 lives. The FHSAA’s bylaws shall establish the number, size, and
597 composition of each committee on appeals.
598 (b) No member of the board of directors is eligible to
599 serve on a committee on appeals.
600 (c) Members of a committee on appeals shall serve terms of
601 3 years and are eligible to succeed themselves only once. A
602 member of a committee on appeals may serve a maximum of 6
603 consecutive years. The FHSAA’s bylaws shall establish a rotation
604 of terms to ensure that a majority of the members’ terms do not
605 expire concurrently.
606 (d) The authority and duties of a committee on appeals
607 shall be to consider requests by member schools seeking
608 exceptions to bylaws and regulations, to hear undue hardship
609 eligibility cases filed by member schools on behalf of student
610 athletes, and to hear appeals filed by member schools or student
611 athletes.
612 (e) A student athlete or member school that receives an
613 unfavorable ruling from a committee on appeals shall be entitled
614 to appeal that decision to the board of directors at its next
615 regularly scheduled meeting or called meeting. The board of
616 directors shall have the authority to uphold, reverse, or amend
617 the decision of the committee on appeals. In all such cases, the
618 decision of the board of directors shall be final.
619 (f) The FHSAA shall expedite the appeals process on
620 determinations of ineligibility so that disposition of the
621 appeal can be made before the end of the applicable sports
622 season, if possible.
623 (g) In any appeal from a decision on eligibility made by
624 the executive director or a designee, a school or student
625 athlete filing the appeal must be permitted to present
626 information and evidence that was not available at the time of
627 the initial determination or if the determination was not made
628 by an unbiased, objective individual using a process allowing
629 full due process rights to be heard and to present evidence. If
630 evidence is presented on appeal, a de novo decision must be made
631 by the committee or board hearing the appeal, or the
632 determination may be suspended and the matter remanded for a new
633 determination based on all the evidence. If a de novo decision
634 is made on appeal, the decision must be made in writing, setting
635 forth the findings of fact and specific violation upon which the
636 decision is based. If a de novo decision is not required, the
637 decision appealed must be set aside if the decision on
638 ineligibility was not based on clear and convincing evidence.
639 Any further appeal shall be considered on a record that includes
640 all evidence presented.
641 (8) AMENDMENT OF BYLAWS.—Each member school representative,
642 the board of directors acting as a whole or as members acting
643 individually, any advisory committee acting as a whole to be
644 established by the FHSAA, and the FHSAA’s executive director are
645 empowered to propose amendments to the bylaws. Any other
646 individual may propose an amendment by securing the sponsorship
647 of any of the aforementioned individuals or bodies. All proposed
648 amendments must be submitted directly to the representative
649 assembly for its consideration. The representative assembly,
650 while empowered to adopt, reject, or revise proposed amendments,
651 may not, in and of itself, as a body be allowed to propose any
652 amendment for its own consideration.
653 Section 2. Subsections (2) through (8) of section 1006.15,
654 Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
655 1006.15 Student standards for eligibility to participate
656 participation in interscholastic and intrascholastic
657 extracurricular student activities; regulation.—
658 (2) District school board and nonprofit association
659 policies governing student eligibility for extracurricular
660 activities shall be guided by the following principles:
661 (a) Interscholastic Extracurricular student activities are
662 an important complement to the academic curriculum and provide
663 students with incentives to succeed academically.
664 (b) Participation in a comprehensive extracurricular and
665 academic program contributes to student development of the
666 social and intellectual skills necessary to become a well
667 rounded adult.
668 (c) Extracurricular activities promote teamwork and
669 collaboration, expose students to individuals from diverse
670 backgrounds, and enhance parental engagement in the school.
671 (d) Policies governing student eligibility for
672 extracurricular activities should not impede parental school
673 choice.
674 (e) A student’s school attendance zone or choice of
675 educational program should not be a barrier to participation in
676 extracurricular activities that are not offered by the student’s
677 school or program.
678 (3) As used in this part section, the term:
679 (a) “Extracurricular activity” means a any school
680 authorized or education-related activity occurring during or
681 outside the regular instructional school day.
682 (b) “Home education cooperative” means a parent-directed
683 group of individual home education students which provides
684 opportunities for interscholastic competition to those students.
685 (c) “Impermissible benefit” means a benefit or promise of
686 benefit that is based in any way on athletic interest,
687 potential, or performance, that is a benefit not generally
688 available to the school’s students or their family members, and
689 that induces a student athlete to participate in the athletic
690 programs of a member school. The term does not include
691 transportation arrangements.
692 (d) “Nonprofit association” means the nonprofit association
693 that governs interscholastic athletic competition in this state
694 pursuant to s. 1006.20.
695 (e) “Public school student” means a student who is
696 attending a traditional public school, charter school, magnet
697 school, alternative school, developmental research laboratory
698 school, other public school of choice, or public virtual school.
699 (f) “Recruiting” means an effort by a school employee or
700 athletic department staff member to pressure, urge, or entice a
701 student to attend that school for the purpose of participating
702 in interscholastic athletics.
703 (g) “Unaffiliated private school” means a private school
704 that has an enrollment of 125 or fewer students in grades 6
705 through 12 and that is not a member of the nonprofit
706 association.
707 (4)(3)(a) A student is To be eligible to participate in
708 interscholastic extracurricular student activities if the, a
709 student must:
710 1. Maintains Maintain a grade point average of 2.0 or above
711 on a 4.0 scale, or its equivalent, in the previous semester or a
712 cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or above on a 4.0 scale,
713 or its equivalent, in the courses required by s. 1002.3105(5) or
714 s. 1003.4282.
715 2. Executes Execute and fulfills fulfill the requirements
716 of an academic performance contract between the student, the
717 district school board or private school, the appropriate
718 governing association, and the student’s parents, if the
719 student’s cumulative grade point average falls below 2.0, or its
720 equivalent, on a 4.0 scale in the courses required by s.
721 1002.3105(5) or s. 1003.4282. At a minimum, the contract must
722 require that the student attend summer school, or its graded
723 equivalent, between grades 9 and 10 or grades 10 and 11, as
724 necessary.
725 3. Has Have a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or
726 above on a 4.0 scale, or its equivalent, in the courses required
727 by s. 1002.3105(5) or s. 1003.4282 during his or her junior or
728 senior year.
729 4. Maintains Maintain satisfactory conduct as prescribed by
730 the district school board’s or private school’s code, including
731 adherence to appropriate dress and other codes of student
732 conduct policies described in s. 1006.07(2). If a student is
733 convicted of, or is found to have committed, a felony or a
734 delinquent act that would have been a felony if committed by an
735 adult, regardless of whether adjudication is withheld, the
736 student’s participation in interscholastic extracurricular
737 activities is contingent upon established and published district
738 school board or private school policy.
739 5. Is a home education student who meets the requirements
740 of the home education program pursuant to s. 1002.41, including
741 requirements relating to annual educational evaluations. The
742 evaluation processes or requirements placed on home education
743 student participants may not exceed those that apply under s.
744 1002.41 to home education students generally.
745 (b)1. A student may be declared ineligible to participate
746 in interscholastic athletics only if:
747 a. The student fails to achieve compliance with paragraph
748 (a);
749 b. The student or parent falsifies an enrollment or
750 eligibility document;
751 c. The student or parent accepts an impermissible benefit;
752 d. The student commits a flagrant act of unsportsmanlike
753 conduct toward a contest official, opponent, or other person
754 attending an athletic contest or violates substance abuse
755 policies established by the nonprofit association;
756 e. The student has exhausted 4 years of athletic
757 eligibility, graduated from high school, or attained the maximum
758 age established by the nonprofit association, whichever occurs
759 first;
760 f. The student does not pass a medical evaluation pursuant
761 to s. 1006.20(2)(c), except as otherwise provided in s.
762 1006.20(2)(d); or
763 g. The student forfeits his or her amateur status, as
764 defined by the nonprofit association.
765 2. A student may not be declared ineligible to participate
766 in interscholastic athletics based upon a violation of the
767 FHSAA’s recruitment policy or otherwise because the student
768 participated on a nonschool team or nonschool team affiliated
769 with the school in which the student ultimately enrolls; or the
770 student participated in nonschool athletic activities sponsored
771 by a member school of the nonprofit association if, after
772 participating, the student registers for, enrolls in, or applies
773 to attend the sponsoring school. As used in this subparagraph,
774 the terms “nonschool team” and “nonschool athletic activities”
775 include, but are not limited to, club teams, travel teams, grade
776 school teams, recreational league teams, personal instruction
777 sessions, summer camp teams, and summer camp nonschool athletic
778 programs.
779 (c)1.(b) A Any student who is exempt from attending a full
780 school day based on rules adopted by the district school board
781 for double session schools or programs, experimental schools, or
782 schools operating under emergency conditions must maintain the
783 grade point average required by this section and pass each class
784 for which he or she is enrolled.
785 2. A student who transfers from a home education program to
786 a public or private school before or during the first semester
787 of the school year is academically eligible to participate in
788 extracurricular activities during the first semester if the
789 student has a successful evaluation from the previous school
790 year pursuant to subparagraph (a)5.
791 3. A public school or private school student who transfers
792 into a home education program after being declared ineligible
793 for participation in extracurricular activities pursuant to
794 subparagraph (b)1. is ineligible to participate in such
795 activities as a home education student until the student has
796 successfully completed one semester in a home education program
797 pursuant to s. 1002.41.
798 4. A public school student who transfers to a private
799 school or another public school, or a private school student who
800 transfers to a public school or another private school, after
801 being declared ineligible to participate in extracurricular
802 activities pursuant to subparagraph (b)1. is ineligible to
803 participate in such activities until the student has
804 successfully completed one semester at the school to which he or
805 she transfers and meets the requirements of paragraph (a).
806 (d)(c) A public school student, a student attending an
807 unaffiliated private school, or a An individual home education
808 student is eligible to participate in an extracurricular
809 activity that is not offered by the student’s school or home
810 education program. Participation may occur at any the public
811 school in the school district in which the student resides to
812 which the student would be assigned according to district school
813 board attendance area policies or a public school in another
814 school district which the student could choose to attend
815 pursuant to an district or interdistrict controlled open
816 enrollment policy. A home education student provisions, or may
817 also develop an agreement to participate at a private school, in
818 the interscholastic or extracurricular activities of that
819 school. In order to participate under this paragraph, a student
820 must meet, provided the following conditions are met:
821 1. The home education student must meet the requirements of
822 the home education program pursuant to s. 1002.41.
823 2. During the period of participation at a school, the home
824 education student must demonstrate educational progress as
825 required in paragraph (b) in all subjects taken in the home
826 education program by a method of evaluation agreed upon by the
827 parent and the school principal which may include: review of the
828 student’s work by a certified teacher chosen by the parent;
829 grades earned through correspondence; grades earned in courses
830 taken at a Florida College System institution, university, or
831 trade school; standardized test scores above the 35th
832 percentile; or any other method designated in s. 1002.41.
833 3. The home education student must meet the same residency
834 requirements as other students in the school at which he or she
835 participates.
836 1.4. The home education student must meet the same
837 standards of acceptance, behavior, and performance as required
838 of other students in extracurricular activities.
839 2.5. The student must register with the school his or her
840 intent to participate in interscholastic extracurricular
841 activities as a representative of the school before the
842 beginning date of the nonathletic activity or season for the
843 athletic activity in which he or she wishes to participate. A
844 home education student must be able to participate in curricular
845 activities if that is a requirement for an extracurricular
846 activity.
847 3. A student who is enrolled in an unaffiliated private
848 school, a home education program, a full-time public virtual
849 school, or any public school that does not offer any
850 interscholastic athletic programs may only participate in
851 interscholastic athletics at the public school in which the
852 student is first registered.
853 4. The student’s parent is responsible for transporting the
854 student to and from the school at which the student
855 participates. The school the student attends, the school at
856 which the student participates in the extracurricular activity,
857 the district school board, and the nonprofit association are
858 exempt from civil liability arising from any injury to the
859 student which occurs during such transportation.
860 6. A student who transfers from a home education program to
861 a public school before or during the first grading period of the
862 school year is academically eligible to participate in
863 interscholastic extracurricular activities during the first
864 grading period provided the student has a successful evaluation
865 from the previous school year, pursuant to subparagraph 2.
866 7. Any public school or private school student who has been
867 unable to maintain academic eligibility for participation in
868 interscholastic extracurricular activities is ineligible to
869 participate in such activities as a home education student until
870 the student has successfully completed one grading period in
871 home education pursuant to subparagraph 2. to become eligible to
872 participate as a home education student.
873 (d) An individual charter school student pursuant to s.
874 1002.33 is eligible to participate at the public school to which
875 the student would be assigned according to district school board
876 attendance area policies or which the student could choose to
877 attend, pursuant to district or interdistrict controlled open
878 enrollment provisions, in any interscholastic extracurricular
879 activity of that school, unless such activity is provided by the
880 student’s charter school, if the following conditions are met:
881 1. The charter school student must meet the requirements of
882 the charter school education program as determined by the
883 charter school governing board.
884 2. During the period of participation at a school, the
885 charter school student must demonstrate educational progress as
886 required in paragraph (b).
887 3. The charter school student must meet the same residency
888 requirements as other students in the school at which he or she
889 participates.
890 4. The charter school student must meet the same standards
891 of acceptance, behavior, and performance that are required of
892 other students in extracurricular activities.
893 5. The charter school student must register with the school
894 his or her intent to participate in interscholastic
895 extracurricular activities as a representative of the school
896 before the beginning date of the season for the activity in
897 which he or she wishes to participate. A charter school student
898 must be able to participate in curricular activities if that is
899 a requirement for an extracurricular activity.
900 6. A student who transfers from a charter school program to
901 a traditional public school before or during the first grading
902 period of the school year is academically eligible to
903 participate in interscholastic extracurricular activities during
904 the first grading period if the student has a successful
905 evaluation from the previous school year, pursuant to
906 subparagraph 2.
907 7. Any public school or private school student who has been
908 unable to maintain academic eligibility for participation in
909 interscholastic extracurricular activities is ineligible to
910 participate in such activities as a charter school student until
911 the student has successfully completed one grading period in a
912 charter school pursuant to subparagraph 2. to become eligible to
913 participate as a charter school student.
914 (e) A student of the Florida Virtual School full-time
915 program may participate in any interscholastic extracurricular
916 activity at the public school to which the student would be
917 assigned according to district school board attendance area
918 policies or which the student could choose to attend, pursuant
919 to district or interdistrict controlled open enrollment
920 policies, if the student:
921 1. During the period of participation in the
922 interscholastic extracurricular activity, meets the requirements
923 in paragraph (a).
924 2. Meets any additional requirements as determined by the
925 board of trustees of the Florida Virtual School.
926 3. Meets the same residency requirements as other students
927 in the school at which he or she participates.
928 4. Meets the same standards of acceptance, behavior, and
929 performance that are required of other students in
930 extracurricular activities.
931 5. Registers his or her intent to participate in
932 interscholastic extracurricular activities with the school
933 before the beginning date of the season for the activity in
934 which he or she wishes to participate. A Florida Virtual School
935 student must be able to participate in curricular activities if
936 that is a requirement for an extracurricular activity.
937 (f) A student who transfers from the Florida Virtual School
938 full-time program to a traditional public school before or
939 during the first grading period of the school year is
940 academically eligible to participate in interscholastic
941 extracurricular activities during the first grading period if
942 the student has a successful evaluation from the previous school
943 year pursuant to paragraph (a).
944 (g) A public school or private school student who has been
945 unable to maintain academic eligibility for participation in
946 interscholastic extracurricular activities is ineligible to
947 participate in such activities as a Florida Virtual School
948 student until the student successfully completes one grading
949 period in the Florida Virtual School pursuant to paragraph (a).
950 (5)(4) The student standards for participation in
951 interscholastic extracurricular activities must be applied
952 beginning with the student’s first semester of the 9th grade.
953 Each student must meet such other requirements for participation
954 as may be established by the district school board; however,
955 such requirements must apply on an equal basis to all students
956 and a district school board may not make establish requirements
957 for participation in interscholastic extracurricular activities
958 which make participation in such activities less accessible to a
959 transfer student or a student enrolled in a public school of
960 choice, an unaffiliated private school, or a home education
961 program students than to other students. A district school board
962 or private school may not establish policies regarding transfer
963 student eligibility for extracurricular activities which are
964 more stringent than the policies established by the nonprofit
965 association Except as set forth in paragraph (3)(c), evaluation
966 processes or requirements that are placed on home education
967 student participants may not go beyond those that apply under s.
968 1002.41 to home education students generally.
969 (6)(5) An Any organization or entity that regulates or
970 governs interscholastic extracurricular activities of public
971 schools:
972 (a) Shall permit home education associations or home
973 education cooperatives to join as member schools.
974 (b) Shall not discriminate against any eligible student
975 based on an educational choice of public, private, or home
976 education.
977 (7)(6) Public schools are prohibited from membership in any
978 organization or entity that which regulates or governs
979 interscholastic extracurricular activities and discriminates
980 against eligible students in public, private, or home education.
981 (7) Any insurance provided by district school boards for
982 participants in extracurricular activities shall cover the
983 participating home education student. If there is an additional
984 premium for such coverage, the participating home education
985 student shall pay the premium.
986 (8)(a) The Florida High School Athletic Association
987 (FHSAA), in cooperation with each district school board, shall
988 facilitate a program in which a middle school or high school
989 student who attends a private school shall be eligible to
990 participate in an interscholastic or intrascholastic sport at a
991 public high school, a public middle school, or a 6-12 public
992 school that is zoned for the physical address at which the
993 student resides if:
994 1. The private school in which the student is enrolled is
995 not a member of the FHSAA and does not offer an interscholastic
996 or intrascholastic athletic program.
997 2. The private school student meets the guidelines for the
998 conduct of the program established by the FHSAA’s board of
999 directors and the district school board. At a minimum, such
1000 guidelines shall provide:
1001 a. A deadline for each sport by which the private school
1002 student’s parents must register with the public school in
1003 writing their intent for their child to participate at that
1004 school in the sport.
1005 b. Requirements for a private school student to
1006 participate, including, but not limited to, meeting the same
1007 standards of eligibility, acceptance, behavior, educational
1008 progress, and performance which apply to other students
1009 participating in interscholastic or intrascholastic sports at a
1010 public school or FHSAA member private school.
1011 (b) The parents of a private school student participating
1012 in a public school sport under this subsection are responsible
1013 for transporting their child to and from the public school at
1014 which the student participates. The private school the student
1015 attends, the public school at which the student participates in
1016 a sport, the district school board, and the FHSAA are exempt
1017 from civil liability arising from any injury that occurs to the
1018 student during such transportation.
1019 (c) For each academic year, a private school student may
1020 only participate at the public school in which the student is
1021 first registered under sub-subparagraph (a)2.a. or makes himself
1022 or herself a candidate for an athletic team by engaging in a
1023 practice.
1024 (d) The athletic director of each participating FHSAA
1025 member public school shall maintain the student records
1026 necessary for eligibility, compliance, and participation in the
1027 program.
1028 (e) Any non-FHSAA member private school that has a student
1029 who wishes to participate in this program must make all student
1030 records, including, but not limited to, academic, financial,
1031 disciplinary, and attendance records, available upon request of
1032 the FHSAA.
1033 (f) A student must apply to participate in this program
1034 through the FHSAA program application process.
1035 (g) Only students who are enrolled in non-FHSAA member
1036 private schools consisting of 125 students or fewer are eligible
1037 to participate in the program in any given academic year.
1038 Section 3. Section 1006.16, Florida Statutes, is amended to
1039 read:
1040 1006.16 Insuring school students engaged in extracurricular
1041 athletic activities against injury.—A Any district school board,
1042 school athletic association, or school may formulate, conduct,
1043 and purchase a plan or method of insuring, or may self-insure,
1044 participants in extracurricular activities school students
1045 against injury sustained by reason of such participation
1046 students engaging and participating in the extracurricular
1047 athletic activities conducted or sponsored by the district
1048 school board, association, or school in which such students are
1049 enrolled. A district school board, school athletic association,
1050 or school may add a surcharge to the fee charged for admission
1051 to athletic events as a means of producing revenue to purchase
1052 such insurance or to provide self-insurance. A Any district
1053 school board may pay for all or part of such plan or method of
1054 insurance or self-insurance from available district school board
1055 funds. Insurance provided by a district school board for
1056 participants in extracurricular activities must cover home
1057 education and unaffiliated private school students participating
1058 in extracurricular activities at a district public school
1059 pursuant to s. 1006.15 under the same terms and conditions that
1060 apply to students enrolled in a district public school.
1061 Section 4. Subsection (1) of section 1006.19, Florida
1062 Statutes, is amended to read:
1063 1006.19 Audit of records of nonprofit corporations and
1064 associations handling interscholastic activities.—
1065 (1) Each nonprofit association or corporation that operates
1066 for the purpose of supervising and controlling interscholastic
1067 activities of public high schools and whose membership is
1068 composed of duly certified representatives of public high
1069 schools, and whose rules and regulations are established by
1070 members thereof, shall have an annual financial audit of its
1071 accounts and records conducted by an independent certified
1072 public accountant retained by it and paid from its funds. The
1073 accountant shall furnish a copy of the audit report to the
1074 Auditor General within 30 days after completion of the audit. At
1075 least every 3 years, the Auditor General shall conduct an
1076 operational audit of the accounts and records of each nonprofit
1077 association.
1078 Section 5. Subsections (17) and (18) of section 1002.20,
1079 Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
1080 1002.20 K-12 student and parent rights.—Parents of public
1081 school students must receive accurate and timely information
1082 regarding their child’s academic progress and must be informed
1083 of ways they can help their child to succeed in school. K-12
1084 students and their parents are afforded numerous statutory
1085 rights including, but not limited to, the following:
1086 (17) ATHLETICS; PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL.—
1087 (a) Eligibility.—Eligibility requirements for all students
1088 participating in high school athletic competition must allow a
1089 student to be eligible in the school in which he or she first
1090 enrolls each school year, the school in which the student makes
1091 himself or herself a candidate for an athletic team by engaging
1092 in practice before enrolling, or the school to which the student
1093 has transferred with approval of the district school board, in
1094 accordance with s. 1006.20 the provisions of s. 1006.20(2)(a).
1095 (b) Medical evaluation.—Students must satisfactorily pass a
1096 medical evaluation each year before participating in athletics,
1097 unless the parent objects in writing based on religious tenets
1098 or practices, in accordance with s. 1006.20 the provisions of s.
1099 1006.20(2)(d).
1100 (18) EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES.—In accordance with the
1101 provisions of s. 1006.15:
1102 (a) Eligibility.—Students who meet specified academic and
1103 conduct requirements are eligible to participate in
1104 extracurricular activities.
1105 (b) Participation Home education students.—All public
1106 school students, including those enrolled in public schools of
1107 choice and virtual education, all home education students, and
1108 certain private school students may participate in any
1109 extracurricular activity not offered by a student’s school or
1110 home education program at any public school in the school
1111 district in which the student resides or a public school in
1112 another school district which the student could choose to attend
1113 pursuant to an interdistrict controlled open enrollment policy
1114 who meet specified academic and conduct requirements are
1115 eligible to participate in extracurricular activities at the
1116 public school to which the student would be assigned or could
1117 choose to attend according to district school board policies, or
1118 may develop an agreement to participate at a private school.
1119 (c) Charter school students.—Charter school students who
1120 meet specified academic and conduct requirements are eligible to
1121 participate in extracurricular activities at the public school
1122 to which the student would be assigned or could choose to attend
1123 according to district school board policies, unless such
1124 activity is provided by the student’s charter school.
1125 (d) Florida Virtual School full-time students.—Florida
1126 Virtual School full-time students who meet specified academic
1127 and conduct requirements are eligible to participate in
1128 extracurricular activities at the public school to which the
1129 student would be assigned or could choose to attend according to
1130 district school board policies.
1131 (c)(e) Discrimination prohibited.—Organizations that
1132 regulate or govern extracurricular activities of public schools
1133 shall not discriminate against any eligible student based on an
1134 educational choice of public, private, or home education.
1135 Section 6. Subsection (11) of section 1002.33, Florida
1136 Statutes, is amended to read:
1137 1002.33 Charter schools.—
1138 (11) PARTICIPATION IN INTERSCHOLASTIC EXTRACURRICULAR
1139 ACTIVITIES.—A charter school student is eligible to participate
1140 in an interscholastic extracurricular activity at another the
1141 public school to which the student would be otherwise assigned
1142 to attend pursuant to s. 1006.15 s. 1006.15(3)(d).
1143 Section 7. This act shall take effect July 1, 2015.