Florida Senate - 2010                                    SB 2648
       
       
       
       By Senator Hill
       
       
       
       
       1-01410A-10                                           20102648__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to diversity in hiring of athletic
    3         coaches and athletic directors; creating s. 1006.72,
    4         F.S.; defining the term “minority applicant”;
    5         requiring each state university or Florida college to
    6         interview one or more qualified minority applicants
    7         when hiring a head athletic coach or an athletic
    8         director; providing an exception; providing for a
    9         defense; authorizing the State Board of Education and
   10         the Board of Governors to adopt rules; providing an
   11         effective date.
   12  
   13  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   14  
   15         Section 1. Section 1006.72, Florida Statutes, is created to
   16  read:
   17         1006.72 Diversity in hiring of athletic coaches and
   18  athletic directors.—
   19         (1) For purposes of this section, the term “minority
   20  applicant” means an applicant who is:
   21         (a) A person having origins in any of the black racial
   22  groups of Africa;
   23         (b) A person having origins in the Hispanic culture;
   24         (c) A person having origins in any of the original peoples
   25  of the Far East, Southeast Asia, the Indian Subcontinent, or the
   26  Pacific Islands; or
   27         (d) An American Indian or Alaskan Native having origins in
   28  any of the original peoples of North America.
   29         (2) Each state university or Florida college must interview
   30  one or more qualified minority applicants when hiring a head
   31  athletic coach or an athletic director unless the institution is
   32  unable to identify a qualified minority applicant who is willing
   33  to interview for the position. It is an affirmative defense to a
   34  claim of a violation of this subsection that the institution, in
   35  good faith, was unable to identify a qualified minority
   36  applicant who was willing to interview for the position.
   37         (3) The State Board of Education and the Board of Governors
   38  may adopt rules pursuant to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 to
   39  implement this section for the Florida College System and the
   40  State University System, respectively.
   41         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2010.