Florida Senate - 2013 SB 956
By Senator Bean
4-00693B-13 2013956__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to extracurricular activities;
3 amending s. 1002.20, F.S.; providing that K-12 public
4 school students who meet certain requirements have a
5 right to participate in extracurricular activities;
6 amending s. 1006.15, F.S.; authorizing public school
7 students attending a public school that does not offer
8 a particular extracurricular activity to participate
9 in that extracurricular activity at another school,
10 subject to certain requirements; deleting a criterion
11 for students who are enrolled in non-FHSAA member
12 private schools to participate in interscholastic or
13 intrascholastic sports; providing an effective date.
14
15 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
16
17 Section 1. Present paragraph (e) of subsection (18) of
18 section 1002.20, Florida Statutes, is redesignated as paragraph
19 (f), and a new paragraph (e) is added to that subsection, to
20 read:
21 1002.20 K-12 student and parent rights.—Parents of public
22 school students must receive accurate and timely information
23 regarding their child’s academic progress and must be informed
24 of ways they can help their child to succeed in school. K-12
25 students and their parents are afforded numerous statutory
26 rights including, but not limited to, the following:
27 (18) EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES.—In accordance with the
28 provisions of s. 1006.15:
29 (e) Public school students.—Public school students who meet
30 specified academic and conduct requirements may participate in
31 extracurricular activities at any public school that the student
32 could choose to attend pursuant to district or interdistrict
33 controlled open enrollment provisions, or may develop an
34 agreement to participate at a private school.
35 Section 2. Paragraphs (h), (i), and (j) are added to
36 subsection (3) of section 1006.15, Florida Statutes, and
37 subsection (8) of that section is amended, to read:
38 1006.15 Student standards for participation in
39 interscholastic and intrascholastic extracurricular student
40 activities; regulation.—
41 (3)
42 (h) A student who attends a public school that does not
43 offer a particular extracurricular activity may participate at
44 any public school that the student could choose to attend
45 pursuant to district or interdistrict controlled open enrollment
46 provisions, or may develop an agreement to participate in that
47 extracurricular activity at a private school, if the student:
48 1. Meets the requirements for eligibility to participate in
49 interscholastic extracurricular activities, as provided under
50 paragraph (a);
51 2. Demonstrates educational progress at the school he or
52 she attends as required in paragraph (b);
53 3. Meets the same standards of acceptance, behavior, and
54 performance that are required of other students in
55 extracurricular activities;
56 4. Pays any fees required of other students who participate
57 in the extracurricular activity; and
58 5. Registers with the school that offers the
59 extracurricular activity his or her intent to participate in the
60 interscholastic extracurricular activity at that school before
61 the beginning date of the season for the activity in which he or
62 she wishes to participate. A public school student must be able
63 to participate in a curricular activity if it is a requirement
64 for an extracurricular activity. The student may choose to
65 participate in the required curricular activity at the school he
66 or she attends or at the school in which he or she participates
67 in the extracurricular activity.
68 (i) A student who has been unable to maintain academic
69 eligibility for participation in interscholastic extracurricular
70 activities is ineligible to participate in such activities under
71 paragraph (h) until the student has successfully completed one
72 grading period.
73 (j) The parents of a student who participates in an
74 extracurricular activity under paragraph (h) are responsible for
75 transporting their child to and from the school at which the
76 student participates. The public school the student attends, the
77 school at which the student participates in the extracurricular
78 activity, the district school board, and the Florida High School
79 Athletic Association (FHSAA) are exempt from civil liability
80 arising from any injury that occurs to the student during such
81 transportation.
82 (8)(a) The FHSAA Florida High School Athletic Association
83 (FHSAA), in cooperation with each district school board, shall
84 facilitate a program in which a middle school or high school
85 student who attends a private school shall be eligible to
86 participate in an interscholastic or intrascholastic sport at a
87 public high school, a public middle school, or a 6-12 public
88 school that is zoned for the physical address at which the
89 student resides if:
90 1. The private school in which the student is enrolled is
91 not a member of the FHSAA and does not offer an interscholastic
92 or intrascholastic athletic program.
93 2. The private school student meets the guidelines for the
94 conduct of the program established by the FHSAA’s board of
95 directors and the district school board. At a minimum, such
96 guidelines shall provide:
97 a. A deadline for each sport by which the private school
98 student’s parents must register with the public school in
99 writing their intent for their child to participate at that
100 school in the sport.
101 b. Requirements for a private school student to
102 participate, including, but not limited to, meeting the same
103 standards of eligibility, acceptance, behavior, educational
104 progress, and performance which apply to other students
105 participating in interscholastic or intrascholastic sports at a
106 public school or FHSAA member private school.
107 (b) The parents of a private school student participating
108 in a public school sport under this subsection are responsible
109 for transporting their child to and from the public school at
110 which the student participates. The private school the student
111 attends, the public school at which the student participates in
112 a sport, the district school board, and the FHSAA are exempt
113 from civil liability arising from any injury that occurs to the
114 student during such transportation.
115 (c) For each academic year, a private school student may
116 only participate at the public school in which the student is
117 first registered under sub-subparagraph (a)2.a. or makes himself
118 or herself a candidate for an athletic team by engaging in a
119 practice.
120 (d) The athletic director of each participating FHSAA
121 member public school shall maintain the student records
122 necessary for eligibility, compliance, and participation in the
123 program.
124 (e) Any non-FHSAA member private school that has a student
125 who wishes to participate in this program must make all student
126 records, including, but not limited to, academic, financial,
127 disciplinary, and attendance records, available upon request of
128 the FHSAA.
129 (f) A student must apply to participate in this program
130 through the FHSAA program application process.
131 (g) Only Students who are enrolled in non-FHSAA member
132 private schools consisting of 125 students or fewer are eligible
133 to participate in the program in any given academic year.
134 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2013.