House Bill 1985
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Florida House of Representatives - 2000 HB 1985
By Representative Sobel
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to high school athletics;
3 amending s. 232.61, F.S.; requiring the Florida
4 High School Activities Association to adopt
5 bylaws which require students participating in
6 high school athletic competition or who are
7 candidates for a high school athletic team to
8 satisfactorily pass a physical examination
9 prior to participating in athletic competition
10 or engaging in practice with an athletic team;
11 providing requirements with respect to such
12 examinations; providing an effective date.
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14 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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16 Section 1. Section 232.61, Florida Statutes, is
17 amended to read:
18 232.61 Governing organization for athletics; adoption
19 of bylaws.--
20 (1) The organization shall adopt bylaws that, unless
21 specifically provided by statute, establish eligibility
22 requirements for all students who participate in high school
23 athletic competition in its member schools. The bylaws
24 governing residence and transfer shall allow the student to be
25 eligible in the school in which he or she first enrolls each
26 school year, or makes himself or herself a candidate for an
27 athletic team by engaging in a practice prior to enrolling in
28 any member school. The student shall be eligible in that
29 school so long as he or she remains enrolled in that school.
30 Subsequent eligibility shall be determined and enforced
31 through the organization's bylaws. Where the student lives,
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Florida House of Representatives - 2000 HB 1985
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1 with whom the student lives, or which school the student
2 attended the previous year shall not be a factor in
3 determining eligibility.
4 (2) The organization shall also adopt bylaws that
5 specifically prohibit the recruiting of students for athletic
6 purposes. The bylaws shall prescribe penalties and an appeals
7 process for athletic recruiting violations.
8 (3) The organization shall adopt bylaws that require
9 all students participating in athletic competition or who are
10 candidates for an athletic team to satisfactorily pass a
11 complete physical examination prior to participating in high
12 school athletic competition or engaging in practice with an
13 athletic team. Such physical examination must be administered
14 by a practicing physician licensed under the provisions of
15 chapter 458 or chapter 459 and in good standing with the Board
16 of Medicine. Physical examinations conducted by a chiropractic
17 physician licensed under chapter 460, a podiatric physician
18 licensed under chapter 461, an optometrist licensed under
19 chapter 463, or a dentist licensed under chapter 466 shall not
20 be acceptable for purposes of satisfying the requirements of
21 this paragraph. The bylaws shall establish requirements for
22 passing the physical examination, which shall include minimum
23 standards for the physical capabilities necessary for
24 participation in high school athletic competition. Physicians
25 administering physical examinations pursuant to this section
26 must know the minimum standards established by the
27 organization and certify that the student meets the standards.
28 Results of such physical examination must be provided to the
29 athletic department of the student's high school. No student
30 shall be eligible to participate in any athletic competition
31 or engage in practice with an athletic team until the results
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Florida House of Representatives - 2000 HB 1985
710-116B-00
1 of the physical examination verifying that the student has
2 satisfactorily passed the examination have been received and
3 approved by the athletic department.
4 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2000.
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7 HOUSE SUMMARY
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Requires the Florida High School Activities Association,
9 as the governing nonprofit organization of athletics in
Florida public schools, to adopt bylaws which require
10 students participating in high school athletic
competition or who are candidates for a high school
11 athletic team to satisfactorily pass a complete physical
examination prior to participating in athletic
12 competition or engaging in practice with an athletic
team. Provides requirements with respect to such
13 examinations.
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