Florida Senate - 2008 CS for SB 526

By the Committee on Education Pre-K - 12; and Senator Wise

581-04241-08 2008526c1

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A bill to be entitled

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An act relating to interscholastic sports; providing a

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short title; amending s. 1006.15, F.S.; revising the

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criteria under which a charter school student may

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participate in interscholastic extracurricular activities

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of a public school; providing for certain private school

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students to participate in interscholastic sports at a

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public school under certain conditions; providing

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criteria; providing for a public school student to

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participate in interscholastic sports at another public

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school; providing criteria; providing an effective date.

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

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     Section 1. This act may be cited as "Erin's Law."

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     Section 2.  Paragraph (d) of subsection (3) of section

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1006.15, Florida Statutes, is amended, and paragraphs (e) and (f)

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are added to that subsection, to read:

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     1006.15  Student standards for participation in

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interscholastic extracurricular student activities; regulation.--

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     (3)

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     (d)  An individual charter school student pursuant to s.

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1002.33 is eligible to participate at the public school to which

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the student would be assigned according to district school board

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attendance area policies or which the student could choose to

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attend, pursuant to district or interdistrict controlled open-

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enrollment provisions, in any interscholastic extracurricular

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activity of that school, unless such activity is provided by the

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student's charter school, if the following conditions are met:

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     1.  The charter school student must meet the requirements of

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the charter school education program as determined by the charter

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school governing board.

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     2.  During the period of participation at a school, the

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charter school student must demonstrate educational progress by

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maintaining the grade point average required by this section and

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passing each class for which he or she is enrolled as required in

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paragraph (b).

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     3.  The charter school student must meet the same residency

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requirements as other students in the school at which he or she

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participates.

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     4.  The charter school student must meet the same standards

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of acceptance, behavior, and performance that are required of

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other students in extracurricular activities.

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     5.  The charter school student must register with the school

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his or her intent to participate in interscholastic

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extracurricular activities as a representative of the school

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before the beginning date of the season for the activity in which

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he or she wishes to participate. A charter school student must be

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able to participate in curricular activities if that is a

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requirement for an extracurricular activity.

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     6.  A student who transfers from a charter school program to

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a traditional public school before or during the first grading

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period of the school year is academically eligible to participate

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in interscholastic extracurricular activities during the first

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grading period if the student has a successful evaluation from

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the previous school year, pursuant to subparagraph 2.

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     7.  Any public school or private school student who has been

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unable to maintain academic eligibility for participation in

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interscholastic extracurricular activities is ineligible to

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participate in such activities as a charter school student until

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the student has successfully completed one grading period in a

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charter school pursuant to subparagraph 2. to become eligible to

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participate as a charter school student.

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     (e) A private school student is eligible to participate in

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interscholastic sports at the public school to which the student

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would be assigned according to the district school board's

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attendance area policies or at a public school that the student

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could choose to attend under district or interdistrict controlled

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open enrollment provisions if all of the following conditions are

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met:

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     1. The private school student meets the requirements of the

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private school program pursuant to s. 1002.42.

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     2. The private school in which the student is enrolled does

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not offer the interscholastic sports in which the student would

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participate at the public school.

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     3. During the period of participation at the public school,

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the private school student demonstrates educational progress by

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maintaining the grade point average required by this section and

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passing each class for which he or she is enrolled in the private

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school program as confirmed by a transcript from the private

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school. If the private school student is unable to maintain

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academic eligibility for participating in interscholastic sports,

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the student is ineligible to participate in such activities until

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he or she successfully completes one grading period in all

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subjects taken in the private school program.

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     4. The private school student meets the same residency

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requirements as other students in the school at which he or she

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participates.

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     5. The private school student meets the same standards of

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acceptance, behavior, and performance as required of other

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students participating in interscholastic sports at the public

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school.

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     6. The private school student registers with the public

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school his or her intent to participate in interscholastic sports

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as a representative of the school before the beginning date of

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the season for the activity in which he or she wishes to

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participate; however, the private school student must be able to

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participate in curricular activities if that is a requirement for

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interscholastic sports. A student who transfers from a private

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school program to a public school before or during the first

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grading period of the school year is academically eligible to

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participate in interscholastic sports during the first grading

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period if the student meets the requirements of subparagraph 3.

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from the previous school year.

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     7. The private school in which the student is enrolled

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provides an affidavit to the public school which states that the

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private school:

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     a. Does not offer the interscholastic sports in which the

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student would participate at the public school; and

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     b. Did not offer the interscholastic sports in which the

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student would participate in during the prior academic year.

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     (f) A public school student is eligible to participate at

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another public school in the student's school attendance area in

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any interscholastic sports of that school if all of the following

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conditions are met:

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     1. The public school in which the student is enrolled does

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not offer the interscholastic sports in which the student would

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participate at the public school.

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     2. During the period of participation at the school, the

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student demonstrates educational progress as required in

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paragraph (a).

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     3. The public school in which the student is enrolled is in

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the same school district as that in which the student intends to

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participate in the interscholastic sports under this section.

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     4. The student meets the same standards of acceptance,

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behavior, and performance as required of other students in

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interscholastic sports.

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     5. The student registers with the school his or her intent

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to participate in interscholastic sports as a representative of

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the school before the beginning date of the season for the

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activity in which he or she wishes to participate. A student must

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be able to participate in curricular activities if that is a

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requirement for interscholastic sports.

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     6. A student who transfers from the school in which he or

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she is enrolled to another public school before or during the

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first grading period of the school year is academically eligible

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to participate in interscholastic sports during the first grading

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period if the student has a successful evaluation from the

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previous school year pursuant to subparagraph 2.

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     7. Any public school student who has been unable to

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maintain academic eligibility for participation in

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interscholastic sports is ineligible to participate in such

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activities until the student has successfully completed one

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grading period in the student's home school pursuant to

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subparagraph 2. to become eligible to participate.

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     Section 3.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2008.

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