House Bill 0273

    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                 HB 273

        By Representative Barreiro






  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to education; amending s.

  3         232.61, F.S.; requiring the Florida High School

  4         Activities Association to adopt specified

  5         bylaws relating to eligibility for

  6         participation in athletic competition for

  7         students who transfer or relocate to another

  8         school; providing an effective date.

  9

10  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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12         Section 1.  Section 232.61, Florida Statutes, is

13  amended to read:

14         232.61  Governing organization for athletics; adoption

15  of bylaws.--The organization shall adopt bylaws that, unless

16  specifically provided by statute, establish eligibility

17  requirements for all students who participate in high school

18  athletic competition in its member schools. The bylaws

19  governing residence and transfer shall allow the student to be

20  eligible in the school in which he or she first enrolls each

21  school year, or makes himself or herself a candidate for an

22  athletic team by engaging in a practice prior to enrolling in

23  any member school. The student shall be eligible in that

24  school so long as he or she remains enrolled in that school.

25  Subsequent eligibility shall be determined and enforced

26  through the organization's bylaws. The bylaws governing

27  residence and transfer shall also provide that a student who

28  transfers or relocates to another school is ineligible for

29  participation in athletic competition for a period of 1 year

30  from the date upon which the student's transfer commenced.

31  Where the student lives, with whom the student lives, or which

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                 HB 273

    723-102-99






  1  school the student attended the previous year shall not be a

  2  factor in determining eligibility. The organization shall also

  3  adopt bylaws that specifically prohibit the recruiting of

  4  students for athletic purposes. The bylaws shall prescribe

  5  penalties and an appeals process for athletic recruiting

  6  violations.

  7         Section 2.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

  8  law.

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11                          HOUSE SUMMARY

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      Requires the Florida High School Activities Association,
13    as the governing organization charged with establishing
      the rules by which high school athletic programs in its
14    member schools, and the students who participate in them,
      are governed, to adopt bylaws which provide that a
15    student who transfers or relocates to another school is
      ineligible for participation in athletic competition for
16    a period of 1 year from the date of transfer.

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