Florida Senate - 2026 CS for CS for CS for SB 538
By the Committees on Rules; Judiciary; and Education Pre-K - 12;
and Senator Simon
595-02679-26 2026538c3
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to extracurricular activities;
3 amending s. 1001.43, F.S.; authorizing district school
4 boards to adopt policies for the use of certain funds
5 to provide funding to athletic coaches or activity
6 sponsors of extracurricular activities; prohibiting
7 such funds from being used as severance pay or
8 compensation; amending s. 1006.15, F.S.; making
9 technical changes; defining terms; revising the
10 definition of the term “eligible to participate”;
11 revising eligibility requirements for a student to
12 participate in an interscholastic or intrascholastic
13 extracurricular activity; providing construction;
14 deleting obsolete provisions; requiring that insurance
15 provided by district school boards for participants in
16 extracurricular activities cover any eligible student;
17 deleting requirements for the Florida High School
18 Athletic Association (FHSAA) to facilitate a program
19 for private school students to participate in an
20 interscholastic or intrascholastic sport; requiring
21 the athletic director or other appropriate
22 administrator to maintain student records for all
23 eligible students participating in interscholastic or
24 intrascholastic extracurricular activities at a member
25 school; revising requirements for a student to apply
26 to participate in an interscholastic or
27 intrascholastic extracurricular activity at certain
28 schools; authorizing a public school to assess an
29 activity fee for certain students; defining the term
30 “prorated per-student cost to the school or district
31 for the activity”; requiring district school boards to
32 adopt a policy for calculating specified costs;
33 requiring that the activity fee schedule and
34 supporting calculations be published on the school
35 district website; providing a limitation on a
36 specified fee assessed by a public school; requiring
37 parents to provide for the transportation to and from
38 the school for their student; providing indemnity for
39 a school and district school board under specified
40 circumstances; prohibiting a student from
41 participating in interscholastic or intrascholastic
42 extracurricular activities at two different schools
43 within the same school year unless the student meets
44 specified criteria; requiring the governing
45 organization to provide a certain determination of
46 eligibility within a specified timeframe; requiring
47 the governing organization to adopt specified bylaws;
48 authorizing the governing organization to adopt
49 additional bylaws; deleting provisions providing
50 requirements for certain student transfers; amending
51 s. 1002.31, F.S.; deleting obsolete language; amending
52 s. 1002.33, F.S.; conforming a cross-reference and
53 provisions to changes made by the act; amending s.
54 1006.195, F.S.; conforming cross-references; amending
55 s. 1006.20, F.S.; requiring the FHSAA to adopt,
56 maintain, and enforce specified manuals or handbooks;
57 requiring the FHSAA to ensure that athletes may
58 request certain exemptions or accommodations;
59 requiring the FHSAA to provided accommodations under
60 certain circumstances; authorizing a student who is
61 denied certain eligibility to appeal a decision made
62 by the governing organization; requiring the governing
63 organization to adopt bylaws to establish a timeline
64 for an appeals process; providing a limitation on such
65 timelines; amending s. 1012.01, F.S.; including
66 athletic administrators in the broad classification of
67 K-12 administrative personnel; authorizing district
68 school superintendents to negotiate specified
69 compensation; providing requirements for such
70 compensation; providing an effective date.
71
72 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
73
74 Section 1. Paragraph (i) is added to subsection (2) of
75 section 1001.43, Florida Statutes, to read:
76 1001.43 Supplemental powers and duties of district school
77 board.—The district school board may exercise the following
78 supplemental powers and duties as authorized by this code or
79 State Board of Education rule.
80 (2) FISCAL MANAGEMENT.—The district school board may adopt
81 policies providing for fiscal management of the school district
82 with respect to school purchasing, facilities, nonstate revenue
83 sources, budgeting, fundraising, and other activities relating
84 to the fiscal management of district resources, including, but
85 not limited to, the policies governing:
86 (i) Use of voluntary donations and revenues generated by
87 authorized booster clubs or associations to provide funds to
88 athletic coaches or activity sponsors of an extracurricular
89 activity supported by the booster club or association. Any
90 policy authorizing payment by booster clubs or associations must
91 comply with state and federal law and may not control the
92 provision of funds except that such funds may not be used for
93 severance pay or for compensation as defined in s. 1012.22.
94 Section 2. Section 1006.15, Florida Statutes, is amended to
95 read:
96 1006.15 Student standards for participation in
97 interscholastic and intrascholastic extracurricular student
98 activities; regulation.—
99 (1) SHORT TITLE.—This section may be cited as the “Craig
100 Dickinson Act.”
101 (2) DETERMINATION.—Interscholastic extracurricular student
102 activities are an important complement to the academic
103 curriculum. Participation in a comprehensive extracurricular and
104 academic program contributes to student development of the
105 social and intellectual skills necessary to become a well
106 rounded adult. As used in this section, the term
107 “extracurricular” means any school-authorized or education
108 related activity occurring during or outside the regular
109 instructional school day. In the determination of whether a
110 school offers an activity or a sport, the activity or sport must
111 meet the designation requirements of s. 1006.205(3)(a).
112 (3)(a) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section and s. 1006.20,
113 the term:
114 (a) “Eligible student” means a home education student,
115 charter school student, private school student, Florida Virtual
116 School student, alternative school student, or traditional
117 public school student who wishes to participate in an
118 interscholastic or intrascholastic extracurricular activity.
119 (b)1. “Eligible to participate” includes, but is not
120 limited to, a student participating in any of the following:
121 a. Tryouts.,
122 b. Off-season conditioning.,
123 c. Summer workouts.,
124 d. Preseason conditioning.,
125 e. In-season practice.,
126 f. or Contests.
127 2. The term does not mean that a student must be placed on
128 any specific team for interscholastic or intrascholastic
129 extracurricular activities. To be eligible to participate in
130 interscholastic extracurricular student activities, a student
131 must:
132 a.1. Maintain a grade point average of 2.0 or above on a
133 4.0 scale, or its equivalent, in the previous semester or a
134 cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or above on a 4.0 scale,
135 or its equivalent, in the courses required by s. 1002.3105(5) or
136 s. 1003.4282.
137 b.2. Execute and fulfill the requirements of an academic
138 performance contract between the student, the district school
139 board, the appropriate governing association, and the student’s
140 parents, if the student’s cumulative grade point average falls
141 below 2.0, or its equivalent, on a 4.0 scale in the courses
142 required by s. 1002.3105(5) or s. 1003.4282. At a minimum, the
143 contract must require that the student attend summer school, or
144 its graded equivalent, between grades 9 and 10 or grades 10 and
145 11, as necessary.
146 c.3. Have a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or above
147 on a 4.0 scale, or its equivalent, in the courses required by s.
148 1002.3105(5) or s. 1003.4282 during his or her junior or senior
149 year.
150 d.4. Maintain satisfactory conduct, including adherence to
151 appropriate dress and other codes of student conduct policies
152 described in s. 1006.07(2). If a student is convicted of, or is
153 found to have committed, a felony or a delinquent act that would
154 have been a felony if committed by an adult, regardless of
155 whether adjudication is withheld, the student’s participation in
156 interscholastic extracurricular activities is contingent upon
157 established and published district school board policy.
158 3.(b) Any student who is exempt from attending a full
159 school day based on rules adopted by the district school board
160 for double session schools or programs, experimental schools, or
161 schools operating under emergency conditions must maintain the
162 grade point average required by this section and pass each class
163 for which he or she is enrolled.
164 4. A home education student must meet the requirements of
165 the home education program pursuant to s. 1002.41.
166 a. During the period of participation at a school, the home
167 education student must demonstrate educational progress as
168 required in subparagraph 3. in all subjects taken in the home
169 education program by a method of evaluation agreed upon by the
170 parent and the school principal, which evaluation may include
171 review of the student’s work by a certified teacher chosen by
172 the parent; grades earned through correspondence; grades earned
173 in courses taken at a Florida College System institution, state
174 university, or district career center; standardized test scores
175 above the 35th percentile; or any other method designated in s.
176 1002.41.
177 b. The home education student must meet the same standards
178 of acceptance, behavior, and performance as required of other
179 students in extracurricular activities.
180 c. A student who transfers from a home education program to
181 a public school before or during the first grading period of the
182 school year is academically eligible to participate in
183 interscholastic extracurricular activities during the first
184 grading period, provided the student has a successful evaluation
185 from the previous school year pursuant to sub-subparagraph a.
186 (c) “Extracurricular” means any school-authorized or
187 education-related activity occurring during or outside the
188 regular instructional school day.
189 (d) “Governing organization” means any organization that
190 governs the interscholastic or intrascholastic extracurricular
191 activity of a school, including, but not limited to, the Florida
192 High School Athletic Association.
193 (4) ELIGIBILITY.—
194 (a)(c)1. A An individual home education student is eligible
195 to participate in an interscholastic or intrascholastic
196 extracurricular activity at the school in which he or she is
197 enrolled.
198 (b) An eligible student may participate in an
199 interscholastic or intrascholastic extracurricular activity at a
200 school other than the school in which the student is enrolled
201 if:
202 1. The school in which the student is enrolled does not
203 offer the same interscholastic or intrascholastic
204 extracurricular activity or the student is in a home education
205 program; and
206 2. The school at which the student will participate in the
207 interscholastic or intrascholastic extracurricular activity is
208 located in the school district in which the student resides.
209 (c) If no public or charter schools in the district in
210 which the student resides offer the interscholastic or
211 intrascholastic extracurricular activity, and an agreement
212 cannot be reached with a private school in the district in which
213 the student resides, the student may participate at a public,
214 charter, or private school that is appropriate for the student’s
215 grade level located outside of his or her school district. The
216 school at which the student participates pursuant to this
217 paragraph must be in a school district adjacent to the school
218 district in which the student resides.
219 (d) If a student has exhausted all options outlined above
220 for participation in an interscholastic or intrascholastic
221 extracurricular activity, the student may petition the executive
222 director of the applicable governing organization to explore
223 options for participation at a school not otherwise covered by
224 this section.
225 (e) For purposes of this subsection, any participation by
226 an eligible student at a private school other than the school in
227 which the student is enrolled must be pursuant to an agreement
228 between the private school and the student at the public school
229 to which the student would be assigned according to district
230 school board attendance area policies or which the student could
231 choose to attend pursuant to s. 1002.31, or may develop an
232 agreement to participate at a private school, in the
233 interscholastic extracurricular activities of that school,
234 provided the following conditions are met:
235 a. The home education student must meet the requirements of
236 the home education program pursuant to s. 1002.41.
237 b. During the period of participation at a school, the home
238 education student must demonstrate educational progress as
239 required in paragraph (b) in all subjects taken in the home
240 education program by a method of evaluation agreed upon by the
241 parent and the school principal which may include: review of the
242 student’s work by a certified teacher chosen by the parent;
243 grades earned through correspondence; grades earned in courses
244 taken at a Florida College System institution, university, or
245 trade school; standardized test scores above the 35th
246 percentile; or any other method designated in s. 1002.41.
247 c. The home education student must meet the same residency
248 requirements as other students in the school at which he or she
249 participates.
250 d. The home education student must meet the same standards
251 of acceptance, behavior, and performance as required of other
252 students in extracurricular activities.
253 e. The student must register with the school his or her
254 intent to participate in interscholastic extracurricular
255 activities as a representative of the school before
256 participation. A home education student must be able to
257 participate in curricular activities if that is a requirement
258 for an extracurricular activity.
259 f. A student who transfers from a home education program to
260 a public school before or during the first grading period of the
261 school year is academically eligible to participate in
262 interscholastic extracurricular activities during the first
263 grading period provided the student has a successful evaluation
264 from the previous school year, pursuant to sub-subparagraph b.
265 g. Any public school or private school student who has been
266 unable to maintain academic eligibility for participation in
267 interscholastic extracurricular activities is ineligible to
268 participate in such activities as a home education student until
269 the student has successfully completed one grading period in
270 home education pursuant to sub-subparagraph b. to become
271 eligible to participate as a home education student.
272 2. An individual home education student is eligible to
273 participate on an interscholastic athletic team at any public
274 school in the school district in which the student resides,
275 provided the student meets the conditions specified in sub
276 subparagraphs 1.a.-g.
277 (d) An individual charter school student pursuant to s.
278 1002.33 is eligible to participate at the public school to which
279 the student would be assigned according to district school board
280 attendance area policies or which the student could attend, or
281 may develop an agreement to participate at a private school, in
282 any interscholastic extracurricular activity of that school,
283 unless such activity is provided by the student’s charter
284 school, if the following conditions are met:
285 1. The charter school student must meet the requirements of
286 the charter school education program as determined by the
287 charter school governing board.
288 2. During the period of participation at a school, the
289 charter school student must demonstrate educational progress as
290 required in paragraph (b).
291 3. The charter school student must meet the same residency
292 requirements as other students in the school at which he or she
293 participates.
294 4. The charter school student must meet the same standards
295 of acceptance, behavior, and performance that are required of
296 other students in extracurricular activities.
297 5. The charter school student must register with the school
298 his or her intent to participate in interscholastic
299 extracurricular activities as a representative of the school
300 before participation. A charter school student must be able to
301 participate in curricular activities if that is a requirement
302 for an extracurricular activity.
303 6. A student who transfers from a charter school program to
304 a traditional public school before or during the first grading
305 period of the school year is academically eligible to
306 participate in interscholastic extracurricular activities during
307 the first grading period if the student has a successful
308 evaluation from the previous school year pursuant to
309 subparagraph 2.
310 7. Any public school or private school student who has been
311 unable to maintain academic eligibility for participation in
312 interscholastic extracurricular activities is ineligible to
313 participate in such activities as a charter school student until
314 the student has successfully completed one grading period in a
315 charter school pursuant to subparagraph 2. to become eligible to
316 participate as a charter school student.
317 (e) A student of the Florida Virtual School full-time
318 program may participate in any interscholastic extracurricular
319 activity at the public school to which the student would be
320 assigned according to district school board attendance area
321 policies or which the student could choose to attend pursuant to
322 s. 1002.31, or may develop an agreement to participate at a
323 private school, if the student:
324 1. During the period of participation in the
325 interscholastic extracurricular activity, meets the requirements
326 in paragraph (a).
327 2. Meets any additional requirements as determined by the
328 board of trustees of the Florida Virtual School.
329 3. Meets the same residency requirements as other students
330 in the school at which he or she participates.
331 4. Meets the same standards of acceptance, behavior, and
332 performance that are required of other students in
333 extracurricular activities.
334 5. Registers his or her intent to participate in
335 interscholastic extracurricular activities with the school
336 before participation. A Florida Virtual school student must be
337 able to participate in curricular activities if that is a
338 requirement for an extracurricular activity.
339 (f) A student who transfers from the Florida Virtual School
340 full-time program to a traditional public school before or
341 during the first grading period of the school year is
342 academically eligible to participate in interscholastic
343 extracurricular activities during the first grading period if
344 the student has a successful evaluation from the previous school
345 year pursuant to paragraph (a).
346 (g) A public school or private school student who has been
347 unable to maintain academic eligibility for participation in
348 interscholastic extracurricular activities is ineligible to
349 participate in such activities as a Florida Virtual School
350 student until the student successfully completes one grading
351 period in the Florida Virtual School pursuant to paragraph (a).
352 (h) A student in a full-time virtual instruction program
353 under s. 1002.45, including the full-time Florida Virtual School
354 program, a full-time school district virtual instruction
355 program, or a full-time virtual charter school, is eligible to
356 participate on an interscholastic athletic team at any public
357 school in the school district in which the student resides, or
358 may develop an agreement to participate at a private school,
359 provided the student:
360 1. During the period of participation in the
361 interscholastic extracurricular activity, meets the requirements
362 in paragraph (a);
363 2. Meets any additional requirements as determined by the
364 board of trustees of the Florida Virtual School, the district
365 school board, or the governing board of the virtual charter
366 school, as applicable;
367 3. Meets the same residency requirements as other students
368 in the school at which he or she participates;
369 4. Meets the same standards of athletic team acceptance,
370 behavior, and performance which are required of other students
371 in extracurricular activities; and
372 5. Registers his or her intent to participate in
373 interscholastic extracurricular activities with the school
374 before participation.
375 (i) An individual traditional public school student who is
376 otherwise eligible to participate in interscholastic
377 extracurricular activities may either participate in any such
378 activity at any public school in the school district in which
379 the student resides or develop an agreement to participate in
380 such activity at a private school, unless the activity is
381 provided by the student’s traditional public school. Such
382 student must:
383 1. Meet the same standards of acceptance, behavior, and
384 performance that are required of other students in
385 extracurricular activities at the school at which the student
386 wishes to participate.
387 2. Before participation, register with the school his or
388 her intent to participate in interscholastic extracurricular
389 activities as a representative of the school. The student must
390 be able to participate in curricular activities if that is a
391 requirement for an extracurricular activity.
392 (j)1. A school district or charter school may not delay
393 eligibility or otherwise prevent a student participating in
394 controlled open enrollment, or a choice program, from being
395 immediately eligible to participate in interscholastic and
396 intrascholastic extracurricular activities.
397 2. A student may not participate in a sport if the student
398 participated in that same sport at another school during that
399 school year, unless the student meets one of the following
400 criteria:
401 a. Dependent children of active duty military personnel
402 whose move resulted from military orders.
403 b. Children who have been relocated due to a foster care
404 placement in a different school zone.
405 c. Children who move due to a court-ordered change in
406 custody due to separation or divorce, or the serious illness or
407 death of a custodial parent.
408 d. Authorized for good cause in district or charter school
409 policy.
410 (5)(4) BEGINNING APPLICABILITY.—The student standards for
411 participation in interscholastic extracurricular activities must
412 be applied beginning with the student’s first semester of the
413 9th grade. Each student must meet such other requirements for
414 participation as may be established by the district school
415 board; however, a district school board may not establish
416 requirements for participation in interscholastic
417 extracurricular activities which make participation in such
418 activities less accessible to home education students than to
419 other students. Except as set forth in paragraph (3)(c),
420 evaluation processes or requirements that are placed on home
421 education student participants may not go beyond those that
422 apply under s. 1002.41 to home education students generally.
423 (6)(5) GOVERNING ORGANIZATION RESPONSIBILITIES.—All
424 governing organizations Any organization or entity that
425 regulates or governs interscholastic extracurricular activities
426 of public schools:
427 (a) Shall permit home education associations to join as
428 member schools.
429 (b) May Shall not discriminate against any eligible student
430 based on an educational choice of public, private, or home
431 education.
432 (7)(6) PROHIBITED MEMBERSHIPS.—Public schools are
433 prohibited from membership in any governing organization that or
434 entity which regulates or governs interscholastic
435 extracurricular activities and discriminates against eligible
436 students in public, private, or home education.
437 (8)(7) INSURANCE.—Any insurance provided by district school
438 boards for participants in extracurricular activities must shall
439 cover any eligible student the participating home education
440 student. If there is an additional premium for such coverage,
441 the participating home education student shall pay the premium.
442 (8)(a) The Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA)
443 shall, in cooperation with each district school board and its
444 member private schools, facilitate a program in which a middle
445 school or high school student who attends a private school is
446 eligible to participate in an interscholastic or intrascholastic
447 sport at a member public high school, a member public middle
448 school, a member 6-12 public school, or a member private school,
449 as appropriate for the private school student’s grade level, if:
450 1. The private school in which the student is enrolled is
451 not a member of the FHSAA or the private school in which the
452 student is enrolled is a member of the FHSAA and does not offer
453 the sport in which the student wishes to participate.
454 2. The private school student meets the guidelines for the
455 conduct of the program established by the FHSAA’s board of
456 directors and the district school board or member private
457 school. At a minimum, such guidelines must provide a deadline
458 for each sport by which the private school student’s parents
459 must register with the member school in writing their intent for
460 their child to participate at that school in the sport.
461 (b) The parents of a private school student participating
462 in a member school sport under this subsection are responsible
463 for transporting their child to and from the member school at
464 which the student participates. The private school the student
465 attends, the member school at which the student participates in
466 a sport, the district school board, and the FHSAA are exempt
467 from civil liability arising from any injury that occurs to the
468 student during such transportation.
469 (c) For each academic year, a private school student may
470 only participate at the member school in which the student is
471 first registered under subparagraph (a)2. or makes himself or
472 herself a candidate for an athletic team by engaging in a
473 practice.
474 (9) SCHOOL RESPONSIBILITIES.—
475 (a)(d) The athletic director or other appropriate
476 administrator of each participating FHSAA member school shall
477 maintain the student records necessary for eligibility,
478 compliance, and participation for all eligible students
479 participating in interscholastic or intrascholastic
480 extracurricular activities at the member school in the program.
481 (b)(e) Any private school that has a student who wishes to
482 participate in interscholastic or intrascholastic
483 extracurricular activities at another school this program must
484 make all student records, including, but not limited to,
485 academic, financial, disciplinary, and attendance records,
486 available upon request of the governing organization FHSAA.
487 (c) The public school may assess an activity fee to a
488 student who is not enrolled but is eligible to participate
489 pursuant to this section, provided that such fee is uniformly
490 applied within the school or district for the activity and does
491 not exceed the prorated per-student cost to the school or
492 district for the activity.
493 1. For purposes of this paragraph, the term “prorated per
494 student cost to the school or district for the activity” means
495 the school’s or district’s direct costs, including any increase
496 in insurance premiums, which are necessary to provide the
497 specific interscholastic or intrascholastic extracurricular
498 activity within the school or district, divided by the number of
499 students participating in that activity in the school or
500 district.
501 2. A district school board shall adopt a policy,
502 establishing the methodology for calculating such costs. The
503 policy must be adopted at a school board meeting, annually by
504 July 1, for the upcoming school year, and the activity fee
505 schedule and supporting calculations for each activity must be
506 published on the school district’s website. The fee schedule
507 must be voted on by the district school board as an action item.
508 Once the fee schedule is approved, it must be submitted to the
509 Department of Education.
510 3. The public school at which a home education student
511 pursuant to s. 1002.41 wishes to participate may assess the
512 eligible home education student only the out-of-pocket costs
513 paid by public school students for the interscholastic or
514 intrascholastic extracurricular activity.
515 (d) The parents of the student participating in the
516 interscholastic or intrascholastic extracurricular activity must
517 provide for the transportation of the student to and from the
518 school at which the student participates. The school in which
519 the student is enrolled, the school at which the student
520 participates in the extracurricular activity, and the district
521 school board are exempt from civil liability arising from any
522 injury that occurs to the student during such transportation.
523 (10) STUDENT TRANSFERS.—
524 (a) A student may not participate in interscholastic
525 activities at two different schools during the same school year,
526 unless the student:
527 1. Is a dependent child of active duty military personnel
528 whose move resulted from military orders;
529 2. Has been relocated due to a foster care placement in a
530 different school zone;
531 3. Has moved due to a court-ordered change in custody due
532 to separation or divorce, or the serious illness or death of a
533 custodial parent; or
534 4. Has been granted approval by the applicable governing
535 organization’s executive director.
536 (b) The governing organization shall provide a
537 determination of eligibility to the requesting student within 14
538 days after such a request is made.
539 (c) The governing organization shall adopt bylaws
540 establishing criteria for determining eligibility of students
541 pursuant to this subsection and an appeals procedure equivalent
542 to the appeals procedure set forth in s. 1006.20.
543 (11) BYLAWS.—The governing organization may adopt
544 additional bylaws to implement this section
545 (f) A student must apply to participate in this program
546 through the FHSAA program application process.
547 (9)(a) A student who transfers to a school during the
548 school year may seek to immediately join an existing team if the
549 roster for the specific interscholastic or intrascholastic
550 extracurricular activity has not reached the activity’s
551 identified maximum size and if the coach for the activity
552 determines that the student has the requisite skill and ability
553 to participate. The FHSAA and school district or charter school
554 may not declare such a student ineligible because the student
555 did not have the opportunity to comply with qualifying
556 requirements.
557 (b) A student may not participate in a sport if the student
558 participated in that same sport at another school during that
559 school year, unless the student meets one of the following
560 criteria:
561 1. Dependent children of active duty military personnel
562 whose move resulted from military orders.
563 2. Children who have been relocated due to a foster care
564 placement in a different school zone.
565 3. Children who move due to a court-ordered change in
566 custody due to separation or divorce, or the serious illness or
567 death of a custodial parent.
568 4. Authorized for good cause in district or charter school
569 policy.
570 (10) A student who participates in an interscholastic or
571 intrascholastic activity at a public school and who transfers
572 from that school during the school year must be allowed to
573 continue to participate in the activity at that school for the
574 remainder of the school year if:
575 (a) During the period of participation in the activity, the
576 student continues to meet the requirements specified in
577 paragraph (3)(a).
578 (b) The student continues to meet the same standards of
579 acceptance, behavior, and performance which are required of
580 other students participating in the activity, except for
581 enrollment requirements at the school at which the student
582 participates.
583 (c) The parents of the student participating in the
584 activity provide for the transportation of the student to and
585 from the school at which the student participates. The school
586 the student attends, the school at which the student
587 participates in the activity, and the district school board are
588 exempt from civil liability arising from any injury that occurs
589 to the student during such transportation.
590 Section 3. Subsection (6) of section 1002.31, Florida
591 Statutes, is amended to read:
592 1002.31 Controlled open enrollment; public school parental
593 choice.—
594 (6)(a) A school district or charter school may not delay
595 eligibility or otherwise prevent a student participating in
596 controlled open enrollment or a choice program from being
597 immediately eligible to participate in interscholastic and
598 intrascholastic extracurricular activities.
599 (b) A student may not participate in a sport if the student
600 participated in that same sport at another school during that
601 school year, unless the student meets one of the following
602 criteria:
603 1. Dependent children of active duty military personnel
604 whose move resulted from military orders.
605 2. Children who have been relocated due to a foster care
606 placement in a different school zone.
607 3. Children who move due to a court-ordered change in
608 custody due to separation or divorce, or the serious illness or
609 death of a custodial parent.
610 4. Authorized for good cause in district or charter school
611 policy.
612 Section 4. Subsection (11) of section 1002.33, Florida
613 Statutes, is amended to read:
614 1002.33 Charter schools.—
615 (11) PARTICIPATION IN INTERSCHOLASTIC EXTRACURRICULAR
616 ACTIVITIES.—A charter school student is eligible to participate
617 in an interscholastic extracurricular activity at the public
618 school to which the student would be otherwise assigned to
619 attend, or may develop an agreement to participate at a private
620 school, pursuant to s. 1006.15(4) s. 1006.15(3)(d).
621 Section 5. Paragraphs (a) and (b) of subsection (1) of
622 section 1006.195, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
623 1006.195 District school board, charter school authority
624 and responsibility to establish student eligibility regarding
625 participation in interscholastic and intrascholastic
626 extracurricular activities.—Notwithstanding any provision to the
627 contrary in ss. 1006.15, 1006.18, and 1006.20, regarding student
628 eligibility to participate in interscholastic and
629 intrascholastic extracurricular activities:
630 (1)(a) A district school board shall must establish,
631 through its code of student conduct, student eligibility
632 standards and related student disciplinary actions regarding
633 student participation in interscholastic and intrascholastic
634 extracurricular activities. The code of student conduct must
635 provide that:
636 1. A student not currently suspended from interscholastic
637 or intrascholastic extracurricular activities, or suspended or
638 expelled from school, pursuant to a district school board’s
639 suspension or expulsion powers provided in law, including ss.
640 1006.07, 1006.08, and 1006.09, is eligible to participate in
641 interscholastic and intrascholastic extracurricular activities.
642 2. A student may not participate in a sport if the student
643 participated in that same sport at another school during that
644 school year, unless the student meets the criteria in s.
645 1006.15(10) s. 1006.15(3)(j).
646 3. A student’s eligibility to participate in any
647 interscholastic or intrascholastic extracurricular activity may
648 not be affected by any alleged recruiting violation until final
649 disposition of the allegation pursuant to s. 1006.20(2)(b).
650 (b) Students who participate in interscholastic and
651 intrascholastic extracurricular activities for, but are not
652 enrolled in, a public school pursuant to s. 1006.15(4) s.
653 1006.15(3)(c)-(e) and (8), are subject to the district school
654 board’s code of student conduct for the limited purpose of
655 establishing and maintaining the student’s eligibility to
656 participate at the school.
657 Section 6. Paragraph (h) of subsection (7) of section
658 1006.20, Florida Statutes, is amended, and paragraph (o) is
659 added to subsection (2) and paragraph (i) is added to subsection
660 (7) of that section, to read:
661 1006.20 Athletics in public K-12 schools.—
662 (2) ADOPTION OF BYLAWS, POLICIES, OR GUIDELINES.—
663 (o) The FHSAA shall adopt, maintain, and enforce sport
664 specific manuals or handbooks that govern interscholastic
665 competition. The manuals or handbooks may include, but are not
666 limited to, timing, scoring, equipment, officiating, and athlete
667 safety. The FHSAA must ensure that athletes may request
668 exemptions or accommodations from real-time scoring requirements
669 not later than 72 hours before a sanctioned event. If a request
670 is made within the prescribed time, the FHSAA must provide
671 access to accommodations for such participants.
672 (7) APPEALS.—
673 (h) Decisions made by the committee on appeals, the
674 executive director or his or her designee, and a governing
675 organization’s the FHSAA board of directors must be posted
676 online in a searchable format and be in compliance with ss.
677 1002.22 and 1002.221.
678 (i) A student denied eligibility may appeal the decision
679 from the governing organization. The governing organization
680 shall adopt bylaws establishing a timeline for appeals which may
681 not exceed 20 days.
682 Section 7. Paragraph (d) is added to subsection (3) of
683 section 1012.01, Florida Statutes, to read:
684 1012.01 Definitions.—As used in this chapter, the following
685 terms have the following meanings:
686 (3) ADMINISTRATIVE PERSONNEL.—“Administrative personnel”
687 includes K-12 personnel who perform management activities such
688 as developing broad policies for the school district and
689 executing those policies through the direction of personnel at
690 all levels within the district. Administrative personnel are
691 generally high-level, responsible personnel who have been
692 assigned the responsibilities of systemwide or schoolwide
693 functions, such as district school superintendents, assistant
694 superintendents, deputy superintendents, school principals,
695 assistant principals, career center directors, and others who
696 perform management activities. Broad classifications of K-12
697 administrative personnel are as follows:
698 (d) Athletic administrators and activity sponsor directors
699 of extracurricular activities.—Included in this classification
700 is any athletic director or coach or the director of an activity
701 sponsor specified by the district school superintendent. The
702 district school superintendent may negotiate individual
703 compensation in excess of compensation otherwise awardable
704 pursuant to s. 1012.22. Such compensation may not exceed the
705 compensation of the highest paid administrator in the district.
706 Section 8. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.