Title: Florida High School Athletic Association Student Eligibility Requirements

Summary: Requires FHSAA to adopt bylaws prohibiting students who are sentenced as adults for specified offenses from participating in certain competitions.

Full Text:
An act relating to Florida High School Athletic Association student eligibility requirements; amending s. 1006.20, F.S.; requiring the Florida High School Athletic Association to adopt bylaws prohibiting a student who is sentenced as an adult for specified offenses from participating in certain competitions; providing applicability; providing an effective date. Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the St ate of Florida: Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of section 1006.20, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 1006.20 Athletics in public Kschools.-(2) ADOPTION OF BYLAWS, POLICIES, OR GUIDELINES.-(a) The FHSAA shall adopt bylaws th at, unless specifically provided otherwise by statute, establish eligibility requirements for all students who participate in high school athletic competition in its member schools. Such bylaws must prohibit a student who has been sentenced as an adult for any offense prohibited under chapter 782, relating to homicide; s. 794.011, relating to sexual battery; or s. 800.04, relating to lewd or lascivious offenses from participating in high school athletic competition in its member schools. Such prohibition applies to a student regardless of the disposition of his or her CS/HB 2024 case, including adjudication of guilt, withholding of adjudication, or sentencing as a youthful offender. The bylaws governing residence and transfer must allow the student to be immediately el igible in the school in which he or she first enrolls each school year or the school in which the student makes himself or herself a candidate for an athletic team by engaging in a practice before enrolling in the school. The bylaws must also allow the stu dent to be immediately eligible in the school to which the student has transferred. The student remains eligible in that school so long as he or she remains enrolled in that school. Subsequent eligibility must be determined and enforced through the FHSAA's bylaws. Requirements governing eligibility and transfer between member schools must be applied similarly to public school students and private school students. The commissioner may direct the FHSAA to revise its bylaws at any time. 1. Any changes to the FHSAA's bylaws must be ratified by the State Board of Education. 2. A bylaw adopted by the FHSAA board of directors may not take effect until it is ratified by the State Board of Education. Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024.