Florida Senate - 2025 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Bill No. SB 1546
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LEGISLATIVE ACTION
Senate . House
Comm: RCS .
04/01/2025 .
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The Committee on Criminal Justice (Grall) recommended the
following:
1 Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
2
3 Delete everything after the enacting clause
4 and insert:
5 Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) and paragraphs
6 (a) and (b) of subsection (2) of section 943.0438, Florida
7 Statutes, are amended, and subsection (5) is added to that
8 section, to read
9 943.0438 Athletic coaches for independent sanctioning
10 authorities.—
11 (1) As used in this section, the term:
12 (a) “Athletic coach” means a person who:
13 1. Is authorized by an independent sanctioning authority to
14 work as a coach, an assistant coach, a manager, or a referee for
15 more than 20 hours in a calendar year, whether for compensation
16 or as a volunteer, for a youth athletic team based in this
17 state; and
18 2. Has direct contact with one or more minors on the youth
19 athletic team.
20 (2) An independent sanctioning authority shall:
21 (a) Effective July 1, 2026 January 1, 2025, conduct a level
22 2 background screening under s. 435.04 of each current and
23 prospective athletic coach. The authority may not delegate this
24 responsibility to an individual team and may not authorize any
25 person to act as an athletic coach unless a level 2 background
26 screening is conducted and does not result in disqualification
27 under paragraph (b).
28 (b)1. Be considered a Before January 1, 2026, or a later
29 date as determined by the Agency for Health Care Administration
30 for the participation of qualified entity for purposes of
31 participating entities in the Care Provider Background Screening
32 Clearinghouse under s. 435.12, disqualify any person from acting
33 as an athletic coach as provided in s. 435.04. The authority may
34 allow a person disqualified under this subparagraph to act as an
35 athletic coach if it determines that the person meets the
36 requirements for an exemption from disqualification under s.
37 435.07.
38 2. On or after January 1, 2026, or a later date as
39 determined by The Agency for Health Care Administration may, not
40 allow a any person to act as an athletic coach if he or she does
41 not pass the background screening qualifications in s. 435.04.
42 The authority may allow a person disqualified under this
43 paragraph subparagraph to act as an athletic coach if the person
44 has successfully completed the exemption from the
45 disqualification process under s. 435.07.
46 (5) A person under the age of 16 who is acting as a coach,
47 an assistant coach, a manager, or a referee, whether for
48 compensation or as a volunteer, for a youth athletic team based
49 in this state must be under the direct supervision of an
50 athletic coach who meets the background screening requirements
51 of this section.
52 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.
53
54 ================= T I T L E A M E N D M E N T ================
55 And the title is amended as follows:
56 Delete everything before the enacting clause
57 and insert:
58 A bill to be entitled
59 An act relating to background screening of athletic
60 coaches; amending s. 943.0438, F.S.; revising the
61 definition of the term “athletic coach”; revising the
62 effective date upon which an independent sanctioning
63 authority is required to conduct certain background
64 screenings of athletic coaches; providing that an
65 independent sanctioning authority is considered a
66 qualified entity for the purpose of participating in
67 the Care Provider Background Screening Clearinghouse;
68 prohibiting the Agency for Health Care Administration
69 from allowing certain persons to act as athletic
70 coaches; requiring that certain persons be under the
71 direct supervision of an athletic coach who meets
72 certain background screening requirements; providing
73 an effective date.