| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to athletic coaches; defining the terms |
| 3 | "athletic coach" and "independent sanctioning authority"; |
| 4 | requiring the independent sanctioning authority of a youth |
| 5 | athletic team to screen the background of current and |
| 6 | prospective athletic coaches through designated federal |
| 7 | and state sex offender Internet websites; requiring the |
| 8 | independent sanctioning authority to disqualify any |
| 9 | athletic coach appearing on either registry; requiring the |
| 10 | independent sanctioning authority to provide a |
| 11 | disqualified coach with written notice; requiring the |
| 12 | independent sanctioning authority to maintain |
| 13 | documentation of screening results and disqualification |
| 14 | notices; providing a rebuttable presumption that an |
| 15 | independent sanctioning authority did not negligently |
| 16 | authorize an athletic coach for purposes of a civil action |
| 17 | for an intentional tort relating to sexual misconduct if |
| 18 | the authority complied with the screening and |
| 19 | disqualification requirements; encouraging independent |
| 20 | sanctioning authorities for youth athletic teams to |
| 21 | participate in the Volunteer and Employee Criminal History |
| 22 | System; providing an effective date. |
| 23 |
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| 24 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 25 |
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| 26 | Section 1. Athletic coaches for independent sanctioning |
| 27 | authorities.-- |
| 28 | (1) As used in this section, the term: |
| 29 | (a) "Athletic coach" means a person who: |
| 30 | 1. Is authorized by an independent sanctioning authority |
| 31 | to work, whether for compensation or as a volunteer, for a youth |
| 32 | athletic team for 20 or more hours within a calendar year; and |
| 33 | 2. Has direct contact with one or more minors on the youth |
| 34 | athletic team. |
| 35 | (b) "Independent sanctioning authority" means a private, |
| 36 | nongovernmental entity that organizes, operates, or coordinates |
| 37 | a youth athletic team in this state. Such team shall include one |
| 38 | or more minors and may not be affiliated with a private school |
| 39 | as defined in s. 1002.01, Florida Statutes. |
| 40 | (2) An independent sanctioning authority shall: |
| 41 | (a) Conduct a background screening of each current and |
| 42 | prospective athletic coach. No person shall be authorized by the |
| 43 | independent sanctioning authority to act as an athletic coach |
| 44 | after July 1, 2008, unless a background screening has been |
| 45 | conducted and did not result in disqualification under paragraph |
| 46 | (b). Background screenings shall be conducted annually for each |
| 47 | athletic coach. For purposes of this section, a background |
| 48 | screening shall be conducted with a search of the athletic |
| 49 | coach's name or other identifying information against state and |
| 50 | federal registries of sexual predators and sexual offenders, |
| 51 | which are available to the public on an Internet site provided |
| 52 | by: |
| 53 | 1. The Department of Law Enforcement under s. 943.043, |
| 54 | Florida Statutes; and |
| 55 | 2. The Attorney General of the United States under 42 |
| 56 | U.S.C. s. 16920. |
| 57 | (b) Disqualify any person from acting as an athletic coach |
| 58 | if he or she is identified on either registry described in |
| 59 | paragraph (a). |
| 60 | (c) Provide written notice to a person disqualified within |
| 61 | 7 business days following the background screening under |
| 62 | paragraph (a), which advises the person of the results and of |
| 63 | his or her disqualification. |
| 64 | (d) Maintain documentation of: |
| 65 | 1. The results for each person screened under paragraph |
| 66 | (a); and |
| 67 | 2. The written notice of disqualification provided to each |
| 68 | person under paragraph (c). |
| 69 | (3) In a civil action for the death of, or injury or |
| 70 | damage to, a third person caused by the intentional tort of an |
| 71 | athletic coach, which relates to sexual misconduct, it is a |
| 72 | rebuttable presumption that the independent sanctioning |
| 73 | authority was not negligent in authorizing the athletic coach if |
| 74 | prior to such authorization it complied with the background |
| 75 | screening and disqualification requirements of subsection (2). |
| 76 | (4) The Legislature encourages independent sanctioning |
| 77 | authorities for youth athletic teams to participate in the |
| 78 | Volunteer and Employee Criminal History System, as authorized by |
| 79 | the National Child Protection Act of 1993 and s. 943.0542, |
| 80 | Florida Statutes. |
| 81 | Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2008. |