HB547INTRODUCED
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HB547
QKAX415-1
By Representative Kiel
RFD: Education Policy
First Read: 08-Apr-25
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5 QKAX415-1 02/04/2025 ZAK (L)ZAK 2024-2657
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First Read: 08-Apr-25
SYNOPSIS:
This bill would prohibit public K-12 school
athletic teams from participating in post-season
athletic events against nonpublic school athletic
teams.
This bill would prohibit public K-12 schools
from being members of athletic associations that
prohibit or discourage member schools from
participating in certain athletic events; other than
post-season athletic events.
This bill would also prohibit public K-12
schools from competing in athletic events against other
schools that belong to a separate athletic association
unless that athletic association meets certain minimum
criteria.
A BILL
TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
Relating to public K-12 schools; to prohibit
competition between public and nonpublic K-12 school athletic
teams in post-season athletic events; to prohibit membership
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teams in post-season athletic events; 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.Notwithstanding Section 2, a public K-12
school athletic team may not compete against or otherwise play
a nonpublic school athletic team in any post-season
championship program or other interscholastic athletic event
occurring after the sport's regular season.
Section 2. (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) A public K-12 school may not be a member of an
athletic association that 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 nonmember
school, including, but not limited to, a scrimmage game,
jamboree, or match.
(c) A public K-12 school may not 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) A public K-12 school may not compete or participate
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(d) A public K-12 school may not 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 unless the
nonmember school is a member of an athletic association that
does all of the following:
(1) Mandates a preparticipation physical examination
for all students before they may participate in tryouts,
practices, or interscholastic athletic events.
(2) Implements 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
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) Complies with rules established by the National
Federation of State High School Associations.
(4) Complies with the competition rules set by the
athletic association that governs the public K-12 school.
(5) Restricts participation in competition to high
school athletes who are under 19 years of age on August 1 of
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school athletes who are under 19 years of age on August 1 of
that school year.
(6) Uses only game officials who are certified through
assessments conducted in accordance with the National
Federation of State High School Associations' rules and
procedures.
(7) Complies with all other requirements under state
laws, including, but not limited to, Chapter 30D of Title 16,
Code of Alabama 1975.
(f) 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 3. This act shall become effective on October
1, 2025.
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