Florida Senate - 2026 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Bill No. CS for SB 178
Ì6118468Î611846
LEGISLATIVE ACTION
Senate . House
Comm: RCS .
02/03/2026 .
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The Committee on Judiciary (Jones) recommended the following:
1 Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
2
3 Delete everything after the enacting clause
4 and insert:
5 Section 1. Present paragraphs (c) through (n) of subsection
6 (2) of section 1006.20, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as
7 paragraphs (d) through (o), respectively, and a new paragraph
8 (c) is added to that subsection, to read:
9 1006.20 Athletics in public K-12 schools.—
10 (2) ADOPTION OF BYLAWS, POLICIES, OR GUIDELINES.—
11 (c) The FHSAA shall adopt bylaws that authorize the head
12 coach of an athletic team to support the welfare of a student he
13 or she coaches only by using personal funds to provide, in good
14 faith, effects such as food, transportation, and recovery
15 services.
16 1. A head coach who uses personal funds to provide such
17 effects must report such use to the FHSAA in a manner provided
18 by FHSAA bylaw.
19 2. Such use of personal funds is presumed not to be an
20 impermissible benefit, unless such use of personal funds is:
21 a. Not reported;
22 b. Reported and deemed not to be in good faith by the
23 FHSAA; or
24 c. Used for recruiting purposes.
25 3. The maximum amount of personal funds a head coach may
26 use per athletic team per year is $15,000.
27
28 Any other organization governing interscholastic athletic
29 competition in this state may adopt bylaws similar to those
30 required by this paragraph.
31 Section 2. Subsection (3) of section 768.135, Florida
32 Statutes, is amended to read:
33 768.135 Volunteer team physicians; immunity.—
34 (3) A practitioner licensed under chapter 458, chapter 459,
35 chapter 460, or s. 464.012 or registered under s. 464.0123 who
36 gratuitously and in good faith conducts an evaluation pursuant
37 to s. 1006.20(2)(d) s. 1006.20(2)(c) is not liable for any civil
38 damages arising from that evaluation unless the evaluation was
39 conducted in a wrongful manner.
40 Section 3. Paragraph (b) of subsection (17) of section
41 1002.20, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
42 1002.20 K-12 student and parent rights.—Parents of public
43 school students must receive accurate and timely information
44 regarding their child’s academic progress and must be informed
45 of ways they can help their child to succeed in school. K-12
46 students and their parents are afforded numerous statutory
47 rights including, but not limited to, the following:
48 (17) ATHLETICS; PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL.—
49 (b) Medical evaluation and electrocardiogram.—Before
50 participating in athletics, students must:
51 1. Satisfactorily pass a medical evaluation each year,
52 unless the parent objects in writing based on religious tenets
53 or practices, in accordance with s. 1006.20(2)(e) s.
54 1006.20(2)(d); and
55 2. As applicable under s. 1006.20, receive an
56 electrocardiogram, unless the parent objects in writing based on
57 religious tenets or practices or secures a certificate of
58 medical exception in accordance with s. 1006.20(2)(e) s.
59 1006.20(2)(d) or the school district is unable to obtain a
60 public or private partnership for the provision of an
61 electrocardiogram pursuant to s. 1006.165.
62 Section 4. Subsection (3) of section 1006.165, Florida
63 Statutes, is amended to read:
64 1006.165 Well-being of students participating in
65 extracurricular activities; training.—
66 (3) Each school district must pursue public and private
67 partnerships to provide low-cost electrocardiograms to the
68 student. A student athlete is exempt from the requirement in s.
69 1006.20(2)(d)4. s. 1006.20(2)(c)4. if he or she resides in a
70 school district that is unable to obtain a public or private
71 partnership to provide an electrocardiogram at a rate of less
72 than $50 per student.
73 Section 5. Paragraph (g) of subsection (2) of section
74 1012.468, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
75 1012.468 Exceptions to certain fingerprinting and criminal
76 history checks.—
77 (2) A district school board shall exempt from the screening
78 requirements set forth in ss. 1012.465 and 1012.467 the
79 following noninstructional contractors:
80 (g) An investigator for the Florida High School Athletic
81 Association (FHSAA) who meets the requirements under s.
82 1006.20(2)(f) s. 1006.20(2)(e).
83 Section 6. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.
84
85 ================= T I T L E A M E N D M E N T ================
86 And the title is amended as follows:
87 Delete everything before the enacting clause
88 and insert:
89 A bill to be entitled
90 An act relating to athletics in public K-12 schools;
91 amending s. 1006.20, F.S.; requiring the Florida High
92 School Athletic Association to adopt bylaws
93 authorizing a head coach to support the welfare of a
94 student by using personal funds to provide certain
95 effects to the student; requiring the head coach to
96 report such use of personal funds to the association;
97 providing that such use of personal funds is presumed
98 not to be an impermissible benefit; providing
99 exceptions; providing a limitation on the annual
100 amount of personal funds a head coach may use per
101 athletic team; authorizing other athletic associations
102 to adopt similar bylaws; amending ss. 768.135,
103 1002.20, 1006.165, and 1012.468, F.S.; conforming
104 cross-references; providing an effective date.