Florida Senate - 2025 CS for SB 1070
By the Committee on Education Pre-K - 12; and Senator Simon
581-02305-25 20251070c1
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to electrocardiograms for student
3 athletes; providing a short title; amending s.
4 1002.20, F.S.; conforming provisions to changes made
5 by the act; amending s. 1006.20, F.S.; requiring
6 certain students to receive an electrocardiogram to
7 participate in athletics, beginning on a specified
8 date; requiring the Florida High School Athletic
9 Association (FHSAA) to adopt a schedule requiring
10 that, by a specified date, certain students receive,
11 before competing, at least one electrocardiogram as a
12 part of their medical evaluation; requiring that the
13 FHSAA bylaws specify those students who must receive
14 an electrocardiogram; revising provisions related to
15 parental objections to requirements for participation
16 in athletics to include objection to
17 electrocardiograms; requiring that parents who object
18 to an electrocardiogram provide a specified release
19 from liability; requiring the FHSAA to develop a
20 standard form to document exceptions; providing an
21 effective date.
22
23 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
24
25 Section 1. This act may be cited as the “Second Chance
26 Act.”
27 Section 2. Paragraph (b) of subsection (17) of section
28 1002.20, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
29 1002.20 K-12 student and parent rights.—Parents of public
30 school students must receive accurate and timely information
31 regarding their child’s academic progress and must be informed
32 of ways they can help their child to succeed in school. K-12
33 students and their parents are afforded numerous statutory
34 rights including, but not limited to, the following:
35 (17) ATHLETICS; PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL.—
36 (b) Medical evaluation and electrocardiogram.—Students must
37 satisfactorily pass a medical evaluation each year and, as
38 applicable under s. 1006.20, receive an electrocardiogram before
39 participating in athletics, unless the parent objects in writing
40 based on religious tenets or practices or provides a written
41 statement from a physician that the student does not require an
42 electrocardiogram, in accordance with the provisions of s.
43 1006.20(2)(d).
44 Section 3. Paragraphs (c) and (d) of subsection (2) of
45 section 1006.20, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
46 1006.20 Athletics in public K-12 schools.—
47 (2) ADOPTION OF BYLAWS, POLICIES, OR GUIDELINES.—
48 (c) The FHSAA shall adopt bylaws that require the
49 following:
50 1. Require All students participating in interscholastic
51 athletic competition or who are candidates for an
52 interscholastic athletic team to satisfactorily pass a medical
53 evaluation each year before participating in interscholastic
54 athletic competition or engaging in any practice, tryout,
55 workout, conditioning, or other physical activity associated
56 with the student’s candidacy for an interscholastic athletic
57 team, including activities that occur outside of the school
58 year. Such medical evaluation may be administered only by a
59 practitioner licensed under chapter 458, chapter 459, chapter
60 460, or s. 464.012 or registered under s. 464.0123 and in good
61 standing with the practitioner’s regulatory board. The bylaws
62 shall establish requirements for eliciting a student’s medical
63 history and performing the medical evaluation required under
64 this paragraph, which shall include a physical assessment of the
65 student’s physical capabilities to participate in
66 interscholastic athletic competition as contained in a uniform
67 preparticipation physical evaluation and history form. The
68 evaluation form must shall incorporate the recommendations of
69 the American Heart Association for participation cardiovascular
70 screening and must shall provide a place for the signature of
71 the practitioner performing the evaluation with an attestation
72 that each examination procedure listed on the form was performed
73 by the practitioner or by someone under the direct supervision
74 of the practitioner. The form must shall also contain a place
75 for the practitioner to indicate if a referral to another
76 practitioner was made in lieu of completion of a certain
77 examination procedure. The form must shall provide a place for
78 the practitioner to whom the student was referred to complete
79 the remaining sections and attest to that portion of the
80 examination. The preparticipation physical evaluation form must
81 shall advise students to complete a cardiovascular assessment
82 and must shall include information concerning alternative
83 cardiovascular evaluation and diagnostic tests. Results of such
84 medical evaluation must be provided to the school. A student is
85 not eligible to participate, as provided in s. 1006.15(3), in
86 any interscholastic athletic competition or engage in any
87 practice, tryout, workout, or other physical activity associated
88 with the student’s candidacy for an interscholastic athletic
89 team until the results of the medical evaluation have been
90 received and approved by the school.
91 2. Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, students
92 identified by the FHSAA who participate in interscholastic
93 athletic competition or are candidates for an interscholastic
94 athletic team must receive an electrocardiogram as a part of the
95 student’s medical evaluation. The FHSAA shall adopt a schedule
96 to require that, by the 2028-2029 school year, each student who
97 participates in interscholastic athletic competition or is a
98 candidate for an interscholastic athletic team has received at
99 least one electrocardiogram as a part of the student’s medical
100 evaluation before participation. The FHSAA bylaws must specify
101 those students who must receive an electrocardiogram in the
102 2029-2030 school year and thereafter.
103 (d)1. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (c), a
104 student may participate in interscholastic athletic competition
105 or be a candidate for an interscholastic athletic team if the
106 parent of the student objects in writing to the student
107 undergoing a medical evaluation or receiving an
108 electrocardiogram because such evaluation or electrocardiogram
109 is contrary to his or her religious tenets or practices.
110 However, in such case, there shall be no liability on the part
111 of any person or entity in a position to otherwise rely on the
112 results of such medical evaluation or electrocardiogram for any
113 damages resulting from the student’s injury or death arising
114 directly from the student’s participation in interscholastic
115 athletics when where an undisclosed medical condition that would
116 have been revealed in the medical evaluation or
117 electrocardiogram is a proximate cause of the injury or death.
118 If a parent of a student objects in writing to the student
119 receiving an electrocardiogram on the grounds that it is
120 contrary to the parent’s or student’s religious tenets or
121 practices, the parent must provide a written release of
122 liability prepared by an attorney in good standing with The
123 Florida Bar. Alternatively, a parent may provide a written
124 statement from a practitioner licensed under chapter 458 or
125 chapter 459 and in good standing with the practitioner’s
126 regulatory board that the student does not require an
127 electrocardiogram.
128 2. The FHSAA shall develop a standard form to document
129 exceptions granted under this paragraph.
130 Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.