CS/HB 545 2024
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hb0545-01-c1
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to Florida High School Athletic 2
Association student eligibility requirements; amending 3
s. 1006.20, F.S.; requiring the Florida High School 4
Athletic Association to adopt bylaws prohibiting a 5
student who is sentenced as an adult for specified 6
offenses from participating in certain competitions; 7
providing applicability; providing an effective date. 8
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the St ate of Florida: 10
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Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of section 12
1006.20, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 13
1006.20 Athletics in public K -12 schools.— 14
(2) ADOPTION OF BYLAWS, POLICIES, OR GUIDELINES. — 15
(a) The FHSAA shall adopt bylaws th at, unless specifically 16
provided otherwise by statute, establish eligibility 17
requirements for all students who participate in high school 18
athletic competition in its member schools. Such bylaws must 19
prohibit a student who has been sentenced as an adult for any 20
offense prohibited under chapter 782, relating to homicide; s. 21
794.011, relating to sexual battery; or s. 800.04, relating to 22
lewd or lascivious offenses from participating in high school 23
athletic competition in its member schools. Such prohibition 24
applies to a student regardless of the disposition of his or her 25
CS/HB 545 2024
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb0545-01-c1
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
case, including adjudication of guilt, withholding of 26
adjudication, or sentencing as a youthful offender. The bylaws 27
governing residence and transfer must allow the student to be 28
immediately eligible in the school in which he or she first 29
enrolls each school year or the school in which the student 30
makes himself or herself a candidate for an athletic team by 31
engaging in a practice before enrolling in the school. The 32
bylaws must also allow the stu dent to be immediately eligible in 33
the school to which the student has transferred. The student 34
remains eligible in that school so long as he or she remains 35
enrolled in that school. Subsequent eligibility must be 36
determined and enforced through the FHSAA's bylaws. Requirements 37
governing eligibility and transfer between member schools must 38
be applied similarly to public school students and private 39
school students. The commissioner may direct the FHSAA to revise 40
its bylaws at any time. 41
1. Any changes to the FHSAA's bylaws must be ratified by 42
the State Board of Education. 43
2. A bylaw adopted by the FHSAA board of directors may not 44
take effect until it is ratified by the State Board of 45
Education. 46
Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024. 47