SB82INTRODUCED
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SB82
7WS9EVV-1
By Senator Barfoot
RFD: Education Policy
First Read: 08-Feb-24
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5 7WS9EVV-1 02/06/2024 ZAK (L)cr 2024-533
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First Read: 08-Feb-24
SYNOPSIS:
This bill would prohibit public K-12 schools
from being members of certain athletic associations.
This bill would also prohibit public K-12
schools from competing in athletic events against
certain other schools.
A BILL
TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
Relating to public K-12 schools; to prohibit membership
in certain athletic associations; and to prohibit athletic
competition against certain schools.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
Section 1. (a) For the purposes of this section, the
term "athletic association" means any association of public or
nonpublic K-12 schools that acts as an organizing,
sanctioning, scheduling, or rulemaking body for
interscholastic athletic events in which students in this
state participate.
(b) No public K-12 school that benefits from state
funding may be a member of an athletic association that
prohibits, or discourages through the use of a communication,
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prohibits, or discourages through the use of a communication,
policy, procedure, ranking, or other instrument designed to
discourage, its member schools from competing or participating
in a contest against or otherwise engaging in an athletic
event with a non-member school, including, but not limited to,
a scrimmage game, jamboree, or match.
(c) No public K-12 school may be a member of an
athletic association that unreasonably withholds its approval
or support of another athletic association's application to
become an affiliate member of the National Federation of State
High School Associations within this state.
(d) No public K-12 school that benefits from state
funding may compete or participate in a contest against or
otherwise engage in an athletic event with a school that is
not a member of the athletic association in which the public
K-12 school is a member if the non-member school is a member
of an athletic association that does not do all of the
following:
(1) Mandate a preparticipation physical examination for
all students before they may participate in tryouts,
practices, or interscholastic athletic events.
(2) Implement a comprehensive concussion management and
return-to-play protocol that includes all of the following:
a. The dissemination of an informational sheet on the
risks of concussions to a parent or legal guardian of a
student participating in an athletic event before the program
starts.
b. The immediate removal and evaluation of a student
who shows symptoms of a concussion during an athletic event by
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who shows symptoms of a concussion during an athletic event by
a qualified health care provider.
c. A prohibition against a student participating in an
athletic event after being diagnosed with a concussion until a
qualified health care provider medically clears the student to
return to participation.
(3) Comply with rules established by the National
Federation of State High School Associations.
(4) Comply with the competition rules set by the
athletic association that governs the public K-12 school.
(5) Restrict participation in competition to
high-school athletes who are under 19 years of age on August 1
of that school year.
(6) Use only game officials who are certified through
assessments conducted in accordance with the National
Federation of State High School Associations' rules and
procedures.
(7) Comply with all other requirements under state
laws, including, but not limited to, Chapter 30D of Title 16,
Code of Alabama 1975.
(e) Nothing in this section shall be construed to do
either of the following:
(1) Influence the membership status or governance of
nonpublic schools that are members of an athletic association
that is primarily composed of public K-12 schools.
(2) Affect the autonomy granted to nonpublic K-12
schools under the laws of this state.
Section 2. This act shall become effective on July 1,
2024.
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