ENROLLED
2026 Legislature CS for CS for SB 178, 1st Engrossed
2026178er
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2 An act relating to athletics in public K-12 schools;
3 amending s. 1006.20, F.S.; requiring the Florida High
4 School Athletic Association to adopt bylaws
5 authorizing a head coach to support the welfare of a
6 student by using personal funds to provide certain
7 effects to the student; providing requirements for
8 such bylaws; requiring the head coach to report such
9 use of personal funds to the association; providing
10 that such use of personal funds is presumed not to be
11 an impermissible benefit; providing exceptions;
12 providing a limitation on the annual amount of
13 personal funds a head coach may use per athletic team;
14 authorizing other athletic associations to adopt
15 similar bylaws; amending ss. 768.135, 1002.20,
16 1006.165, and 1012.468, F.S.; conforming cross
17 references; providing an effective date.
18
19 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
20
21 Section 1. Present paragraphs (c) through (n) of subsection
22 (2) of section 1006.20, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as
23 paragraphs (d) through (o), respectively, and a new paragraph
24 (c) is added to that subsection, to read:
25 1006.20 Athletics in public K-12 schools.—
26 (2) ADOPTION OF BYLAWS, POLICIES, OR GUIDELINES.—
27 (c) The FHSAA shall adopt bylaws that authorize the head
28 coach of an athletic team to support the welfare of a student he
29 or she coaches only by using personal funds to provide, in good
30 faith, effects such as food, transportation, and recovery
31 services. The bylaws must require a parent to provide written
32 consent before a head coach may provide such effects to a
33 student. The bylaws must also restrict such use of funds to one
34 head coach per athletic team.
35 1. A head coach who uses personal funds to provide such
36 effects must report such use to the FHSAA in a manner provided
37 by FHSAA bylaw.
38 2. Such use of personal funds is presumed not to be an
39 impermissible benefit, unless such use of personal funds is:
40 a. Not reported;
41 b. Reported and deemed not to be in good faith by the
42 FHSAA; or
43 c. Used for recruiting purposes.
44 3. The maximum amount of personal funds a head coach may
45 use per athletic team per year is $15,000.
46
47 Any other organization governing interscholastic athletic
48 competition in this state may adopt bylaws similar to those
49 required by this paragraph.
50 Section 2. Subsection (3) of section 768.135, Florida
51 Statutes, is amended to read:
52 768.135 Volunteer team physicians; immunity.—
53 (3) A practitioner licensed under chapter 458, chapter 459,
54 chapter 460, or s. 464.012 or registered under s. 464.0123 who
55 gratuitously and in good faith conducts an evaluation pursuant
56 to s. 1006.20(2)(d) s. 1006.20(2)(c) is not liable for any civil
57 damages arising from that evaluation unless the evaluation was
58 conducted in a wrongful manner.
59 Section 3. Paragraph (b) of subsection (17) of section
60 1002.20, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
61 1002.20 K-12 student and parent rights.—Parents of public
62 school students must receive accurate and timely information
63 regarding their child’s academic progress and must be informed
64 of ways they can help their child to succeed in school. K-12
65 students and their parents are afforded numerous statutory
66 rights including, but not limited to, the following:
67 (17) ATHLETICS; PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL.—
68 (b) Medical evaluation and electrocardiogram.—Before
69 participating in athletics, students must:
70 1. Satisfactorily pass a medical evaluation each year,
71 unless the parent objects in writing based on religious tenets
72 or practices, in accordance with s. 1006.20(2)(e) s.
73 1006.20(2)(d); and
74 2. As applicable under s. 1006.20, receive an
75 electrocardiogram, unless the parent objects in writing based on
76 religious tenets or practices or secures a certificate of
77 medical exception in accordance with s. 1006.20(2)(e) s.
78 1006.20(2)(d) or the school district is unable to obtain a
79 public or private partnership for the provision of an
80 electrocardiogram pursuant to s. 1006.165.
81 Section 4. Subsection (3) of section 1006.165, Florida
82 Statutes, is amended to read:
83 1006.165 Well-being of students participating in
84 extracurricular activities; training.—
85 (3) Each school district must pursue public and private
86 partnerships to provide low-cost electrocardiograms to the
87 student. A student athlete is exempt from the requirement in s.
88 1006.20(2)(d)4. s. 1006.20(2)(c)4. if he or she resides in a
89 school district that is unable to obtain a public or private
90 partnership to provide an electrocardiogram at a rate of less
91 than $50 per student.
92 Section 5. Paragraph (g) of subsection (2) of section
93 1012.468, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
94 1012.468 Exceptions to certain fingerprinting and criminal
95 history checks.—
96 (2) A district school board shall exempt from the screening
97 requirements set forth in ss. 1012.465 and 1012.467 the
98 following noninstructional contractors:
99 (g) An investigator for the Florida High School Athletic
100 Association (FHSAA) who meets the requirements under s.
101 1006.20(2)(f) s. 1006.20(2)(e).
102 Section 6. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.