CS for CS for CS for SB 1070 First Engrossed
20251070e1
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.; making technical changes; conforming
5 provisions to changes made by the act; amending s.
6 1006.20, F.S.; requiring the Florida High School
7 Athletic Association (FHSAA) to adopt bylaws requiring
8 all students to pass an electrocardiogram screening
9 before participating in certain activities; requiring
10 certain students to complete an electrocardiogram
11 screening; authorizing FHSAA member schools to
12 collaborate with certain entities to offer low cost or
13 free electrocardiogram screenings; providing
14 electrocardiogram requirements for students whose
15 primary residence is outside of this state; providing
16 requirements for the form for reporting
17 electrocardiogram results; providing requirements for
18 a student to be granted an exception to the
19 electrocardiogram requirement; requiring students
20 seeking an exception to submit a form developed by the
21 FHSAA before they may participate in an
22 interscholastic activity; providing an effective date.
23
24 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
25
26 Section 1. This act may be cited as the “Second Chance
27 Act.”
28 Section 2. Paragraph (b) of subsection (17) of section
29 1002.20, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
30 1002.20 K-12 student and parent rights.—Parents of public
31 school students must receive accurate and timely information
32 regarding their child’s academic progress and must be informed
33 of ways they can help their child to succeed in school. K-12
34 students and their parents are afforded numerous statutory
35 rights including, but not limited to, the following:
36 (17) ATHLETICS; PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL.—
37 (b) Medical evaluation.—Before participating in athletics,
38 students must:
39 1. Satisfactorily pass a medical evaluation each year
40 before participating in athletics, unless the parent objects in
41 writing based on religious tenets or practices, in accordance
42 with the provisions of s. 1006.20(2)(d); and
43 2. As applicable under s. 1006.20, receive an
44 electrocardiogram, unless the parent objects in writing based on
45 religious tenets or practices or secures a certificate of
46 medical exception in accordance with s. 1006.20(2)(d).
47 Section 3. Paragraphs (c) and (d) of subsection (2) of
48 section 1006.20, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
49 1006.20 Athletics in public K-12 schools.—
50 (2) ADOPTION OF BYLAWS, POLICIES, OR GUIDELINES.—
51 (c)1. The FHSAA shall adopt bylaws that require all
52 students participating or seeking to participate in
53 interscholastic athletic competition or who are candidates for
54 an interscholastic athletic team to satisfactorily pass a
55 medical evaluation each year before participating in
56 interscholastic athletic competition or engaging in any
57 practice, tryout, workout, conditioning, or other physical
58 activity associated with the student’s candidacy for an
59 interscholastic athletic team, including activities that occur
60 outside of the school year. Such medical evaluation may be
61 administered only by a practitioner licensed under chapter 458,
62 chapter 459, chapter 460, or s. 464.012 or registered under s.
63 464.0123 and in good standing with the practitioner’s regulatory
64 board.
65 2. The FHSAA shall adopt bylaws that require all students
66 participating or seeking to participate in interscholastic
67 athletic competition to pass an electrocardiogram screening
68 before participating in interscholastic athletic competition or
69 engaging in any practice, tryout, workout, conditioning, or
70 other physical activity associated with the student’s candidacy
71 for an interscholastic athletic team, including activities that
72 occur outside of the school year. The electrocardiogram
73 screening must be conducted in accordance with standards
74 established by the FHSAA’s Sports Medicine Advisory Committee.
75 Beginning in the 2028-2029 school year, every high school
76 student participating or seeking to participate in
77 interscholastic athletic competition for the first time must
78 complete at least one electrocardiogram screening. FHSAA member
79 schools may collaborate with public and private entities to
80 offer low cost or free electrocardiogram screenings for this
81 purpose.
82 3. Students whose primary residence is outside of this
83 state and who attend a boarding school in this state which
84 complies with the requirements of s. 409.175(17) may have the
85 medical evaluation and the electrocardiogram required under this
86 paragraph performed by a practitioner who holds an active
87 equivalent licensure issued by the state in which the medical
88 evaluation or electrocardiogram is performed and who is in good
89 standing with the practitioner’s regulatory authority as
90 verified by the student’s boarding school.
91 4. The FHSAA bylaws must shall establish requirements for
92 eliciting a student’s medical history and performing the medical
93 evaluation and electrocardiogram required under this paragraph,
94 which shall include a physical assessment of the student’s
95 physical capabilities to participate in interscholastic athletic
96 competition as contained in a uniform preparticipation physical
97 evaluation and history form. The evaluation form must: shall
98 a. Incorporate the recommendations of the American Heart
99 Association for participation cardiovascular screening.
100 b. and shall Provide a place for the signature of the
101 practitioner performing the evaluation with an attestation that
102 each examination procedure listed on the form was performed by
103 the practitioner or by someone under the direct supervision of
104 the practitioner. The form must shall also contain a place for
105 the practitioner to indicate whether if a referral to another
106 practitioner was made in lieu of completion of a certain
107 examination procedure. The form must shall provide a place for
108 the practitioner to whom the student was referred to complete
109 the remaining sections and attest to that portion of the
110 examination.
111 c. The preparticipation physical evaluation form shall
112 Advise students to complete a cardiovascular assessment and
113 electrocardiogram, shall include information concerning
114 alternative cardiovascular evaluation and diagnostic tests, and
115 require the. results of such medical evaluation to must be
116 provided to the school.
117 d. Include a section to record either a medical clearance
118 based on the results of the medical evaluation and
119 electrocardiogram required under this paragraph, allowing the
120 student to participate in interscholastic athletic competition,
121 or recommendations for follow-up treatment by an appropriate
122 health care practitioner trained in the diagnosis, evaluation,
123 and management of cardiovascular abnormalities in athletes as
124 defined by the FHSAA’s Sports Medicine Advisory Committee.
125 5. A student is not eligible to participate, as provided in
126 s. 1006.15(3), in any interscholastic athletic competition or
127 engage in any practice, tryout, workout, or other physical
128 activity associated with the student’s candidacy for an
129 interscholastic athletic team until the results of the medical
130 evaluation have been received and approved by the school.
131 (d) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (c), a
132 student shall be granted an exception to the electrocardiogram
133 requirement if the parent of the student objects in writing to
134 the student receiving an electrocardiogram because the
135 electrocardiogram is contrary to his or her religious tenets or
136 practices or if a physician licensed under chapter 458 or
137 chapter 459 in good standing with the Board of Medicine or Board
138 of Osteopathic Medicine, as applicable, provides a certificate
139 of medical exception. A student may participate in
140 interscholastic athletic competition or be a candidate for an
141 interscholastic athletic team if the parent of the student
142 objects in writing to the student undergoing a medical
143 evaluation because such evaluation is contrary to his or her
144 religious tenets or practices. However, in such case of any such
145 exception or objection, there shall be no liability on the part
146 of any person or entity in a position to otherwise rely on the
147 results of such medical evaluation or electrocardiogram for any
148 damages resulting from the student’s injury or death arising
149 directly from the student’s participation in interscholastic
150 athletics where an undisclosed medical condition that would have
151 been revealed in the medical evaluation or electrocardiogram is
152 a proximate cause of the injury or death. To exercise an
153 exception or objection under this paragraph, a student must
154 submit a standard form, developed by the FHSAA, to document
155 exceptions granted under this paragraph which must be signed and
156 notarized by a student’s parent or legal guardian and received
157 by the FHSAA member school before a student may participate in
158 any interscholastic activity.
159 Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.