HB 797

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

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