Florida Senate - 2011 SB 1000
By Senator Wise
5-00140B-11 20111000__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to interscholastic and intrascholastic
3 sports; amending s. 1006.15, F.S.; removing certain
4 provisions relating to a pilot program in which a
5 middle school student or a high school student in a
6 private school may participate in athletics at a
7 public school; providing for statewide implementation
8 of the program; requiring that the athletic director
9 of each public school maintain the records of students
10 participating in the program; requiring that any
11 private school that is not a member of the Florida
12 High School Athletic Association make the records of
13 participating students available to the association
14 upon request; requiring that a student apply to
15 participate in the program through the appropriate
16 application process; limiting participation in the
17 program to students who are enrolled in non-FHSAA
18 member private schools consisting of a maximum number
19 of students; providing an effective date.
20
21 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
22
23 Section 1. Subsection (8) of section 1006.15, Florida
24 Statutes, is amended to read:
25 1006.15 Student standards for participation in
26 interscholastic and intrascholastic extracurricular student
27 activities; regulation.—
28 (8)(a) The Florida High School Athletic Association
29 (FHSAA), in cooperation with each the district school board
30 boards of Bradford County, Duval County, and Nassau County,
31 shall facilitate a 2-year pilot program during the 2008-2009 and
32 2009-2010 academic years in which a middle school or high school
33 student who attends a private school shall be eligible to
34 participate in an interscholastic or intrascholastic sport at a
35 public high school, a public middle school, or a 6-12 public
36 school that is zoned for the physical address at which the
37 student resides if:
38 1. The private school in which the student is enrolled is
39 not a member of the FHSAA and does not offer an interscholastic
40 or intrascholastic athletic program.
41 2. The private school student meets the guidelines for the
42 conduct of the pilot program established by the FHSAA’s board of
43 directors and the participating district school board boards. At
44 a minimum, such guidelines shall provide:
45 a. A deadline for each sport by which the private school
46 student’s parents must register with the public school in
47 writing their intent for their child to participate at that
48 school in the sport.
49 b. Requirements for a private school student to
50 participate, including, but not limited to, meeting the same
51 standards of eligibility, acceptance, behavior, educational
52 progress, and performance which that apply to other students
53 participating in interscholastic or intrascholastic sports at a
54 public school or FHSAA member private school.
55 (b) The parents of a private school student participating
56 in a public school sport under this subsection are responsible
57 for transporting their child to and from the public school at
58 which the student participates. The private school the student
59 attends, the public school at which the student participates in
60 a sport, the district school board, and the FHSAA are exempt
61 from civil liability arising from any injury that occurs to the
62 student during such transportation.
63 (c) For each academic year, a private school student may
64 only participate at the public school in which the student is
65 first registered under sub-subparagraph (a)2.a. or makes himself
66 or herself a candidate for an athletic team by engaging in a
67 practice.
68 (d) The athletic director of each participating FHSAA
69 member public school shall maintain the student records
70 necessary for eligibility, compliance, and participation in the
71 program.
72 (e) Any non-FHSAA member private school that has a student
73 who wishes to participate in this program must make all student
74 records, including, but not limited to, academic, financial,
75 disciplinary, and attendance records, available upon request of
76 the FHSAA.
77 (f) A student must apply to participate in this program
78 through the FHSAA program application process.
79 (g) Only students who are enrolled in non-FHSAA member
80 private schools consisting of 125 students or fewer are eligible
81 to participate in the program in any given academic year.
82 (d) The FHSAA and participating district school boards
83 shall submit to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and
84 the Speaker of the House of Representatives:
85 1. A copy of the guidelines established under subparagraph
86 (a)2. for the pilot program no later than August 1, 2008.
87 2. A report on the progress of the pilot program no later
88 than January 1, 2010. The report shall include the number of
89 students registered under sub-subparagraph (a)2.a., the number
90 of students found eligible to participate in the pilot program,
91 the number of students who transfer to the public schools at
92 which the students participated under the pilot program,
93 implementation issues experienced with the pilot program, and
94 recommendations on how the pilot program may be improved and
95 expanded to include other counties.
96 (e) This subsection shall stand repealed on June 30, 2010,
97 unless reviewed and reenacted by the Legislature.
98 Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.