Bill Text: FL S0530 | 2024 | Regular Session | Introduced

---

Bill Title: Florida High School Athletic Association Student Eligibility Requirements

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2024-03-08 - Died in Judiciary [S0530 Detail]

Download: Florida-2024-S0530-Introduced.html

---

       Florida Senate - 2024                                     SB 530
       
       
        
       By Senator DiCeglie
       
       
       
       
       
       18-00389-24                                            2024530__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to Florida High School Athletic
    3         Association student eligibility requirements; amending
    4         s. 1006.20, F.S.; requiring the Florida High School
    5         Athletic Association to adopt bylaws prohibiting a
    6         student who is sentenced as an adult for specified
    7         offenses from participating in certain competitions;
    8         providing applicability; providing an effective date.
    9          
   10  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   11  
   12         Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of section
   13  1006.20, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
   14         1006.20 Athletics in public K-12 schools.—
   15         (2) ADOPTION OF BYLAWS, POLICIES, OR GUIDELINES.—
   16         (a) The FHSAA shall adopt bylaws that, unless specifically
   17  provided otherwise by statute, establish eligibility
   18  requirements for all students who participate in high school
   19  athletic competition in its member schools. Such bylaws must
   20  prohibit a student who has been sentenced as an adult for a
   21  homicide, sexual battery, or lewd or lascivious offense from
   22  participating in high school athletic competition in its member
   23  schools. Such prohibition applies to a student regardless of the
   24  disposition of his or her case, including adjudication of guilt,
   25  withholding of adjudication, or sentencing as a youthful
   26  offender. The bylaws governing residence and transfer must allow
   27  the student to be immediately eligible in the school in which he
   28  or she first enrolls each school year or the school in which the
   29  student makes himself or herself a candidate for an athletic
   30  team by engaging in a practice before enrolling in the school.
   31  The bylaws must also allow the student to be immediately
   32  eligible in the school to which the student has transferred. The
   33  student remains eligible in that school so long as he or she
   34  remains enrolled in that school. Subsequent eligibility must be
   35  determined and enforced through the FHSAA’s bylaws. Requirements
   36  governing eligibility and transfer between member schools must
   37  be applied similarly to public school students and private
   38  school students. The commissioner may direct the FHSAA to revise
   39  its bylaws at any time.
   40         1. Any changes to the FHSAA’s bylaws must be ratified by
   41  the State Board of Education.
   42         2. A bylaw adopted by the FHSAA board of directors may not
   43  take effect until it is ratified by the State Board of
   44  Education.
   45         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024.