Florida Senate - 2015                                     SB 238
       
       
        
       By Senator Ring
       
       
       
       
       
       29-00149-15                                            2015238__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to athletic coaches; amending s.
    3         943.0438, F.S.; requiring an independent sanctioning
    4         authority to dismiss an athletic coach ejected from a
    5         game for the remainder of that sport season under
    6         certain circumstances; authorizing such athletic coach
    7         to resume working under certain circumstances;
    8         requiring an independent sanctioning authority to
    9         establish a procedure for an athletic coach to appeal
   10         certain decisions; providing an effective date.
   11          
   12  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   13  
   14         Section 1. Paragraph (h) is added to subsection (2) of
   15  section 943.0438, Florida Statutes, to read:
   16         943.0438 Athletic coaches for independent sanctioning
   17  authorities.—
   18         (2) An independent sanctioning authority shall:
   19         (h) Immediately dismiss an athletic coach who is ejected
   20  from a game in a league of children 12 years of age or younger
   21  for the remainder of the sport season.
   22         1. Except as provided in subparagraph 2., the independent
   23  sanctioning authority may allow an athletic coach dismissed
   24  under this paragraph to resume working as an athletic coach for
   25  the league the following sport season or any time thereafter if
   26  the authority determines that the person remains qualified to
   27  work as an athletic coach.
   28         2. The independent sanctioning authority must establish a
   29  procedure of due process to ensure that an athletic coach
   30  ejected from a game in a league of children 12 years of age or
   31  younger has the opportunity to appeal the ejection to the
   32  independent sanctioning authority. The authority shall expedite
   33  the appeal process so that disposition of the appeal can be made
   34  before the end of the applicable sport season, if possible. If
   35  the athletic coach is successful in his or her appeal, the
   36  athletic coach shall be reinstated and allowed to continue
   37  coaching for the remainder of the sport season and thereafter.
   38         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2015.