Florida Senate - 2025 CS for CS for SB 1546
By the Committees on Rules; and Criminal Justice; and Senator
Grall
595-03370-25 20251546c2
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to background screening of athletic
3 coaches; amending s. 943.0438, F.S.; making a
4 technical change; revising the date by which an
5 independent sanctioning authority is required to
6 conduct certain background screenings of athletic
7 coaches; providing that an independent sanctioning
8 authority shall be considered a qualified entity for
9 the purpose of participating in the Care Provider
10 Background Screening Clearinghouse no later than a
11 specified date; prohibiting an independent sanctioning
12 authority from allowing certain persons to act as
13 athletic coaches beginning on a specified date;
14 authorizing a person who has not undergone certain
15 background screening to act as an athletic coach if he
16 or she is under the direct supervision of an athletic
17 coach who meets certain background screening
18 requirements; providing an effective date.
19
20 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
21
22 Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) and paragraphs
23 (a) and (b) of subsection (2) of section 943.0438, Florida
24 Statutes, are amended, and subsection (5) is added to that
25 section, to read:
26 943.0438 Athletic coaches for independent sanctioning
27 authorities.—
28 (1) As used in this section, the term:
29 (a) “Athletic coach” means a person who:
30 1. Is authorized by an independent sanctioning authority to
31 work as a coach, an assistant coach, a manager, or a referee,
32 whether for compensation or as a volunteer, for a youth athletic
33 team based in this state; and
34 2. Has direct contact with one or more minors on the youth
35 athletic team.
36 (2) An independent sanctioning authority shall:
37 (a) No later than July 1, 2026:
38 1. Effective January 1, 2025, Conduct a level 2 background
39 screening under s. 435.04 of each current and prospective
40 athletic coach. The authority may not delegate this
41 responsibility to an individual team and may not authorize any
42 person to act as an athletic coach unless a level 2 background
43 screening is conducted and does not result in disqualification
44 under subparagraph 3 paragraph (b).
45 2.(b)1. Be considered a Before January 1, 2026, or a later
46 date as determined by the Agency for Health Care Administration
47 for the participation of qualified entity for purposes of
48 participating entities in the Care Provider Background Screening
49 Clearinghouse under s. 435.12, disqualify any person from acting
50 as an athletic coach as provided in s. 435.04. The authority may
51 allow a person disqualified under this subparagraph to act as an
52 athletic coach if it determines that the person meets the
53 requirements for an exemption from disqualification under s.
54 435.07.
55 3.2. On or after January 1, 2026, or a later date as
56 determined by the Agency for Health Care Administration, Not
57 allow a any person to act as an athletic coach if he or she does
58 not pass the background screening qualifications in s. 435.04.
59 The authority may allow a person disqualified under this
60 subparagraph to act as an athletic coach if the person has
61 successfully completed the exemption from the disqualification
62 process under s. 435.07.
63 (5) Notwithstanding paragraph (2)(a), a person who has not
64 undergone background screening pursuant to this section may act
65 as an athletic coach if he or she is under the direct
66 supervision of an athletic coach who meets the background
67 screening requirements of this section.
68 Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.