EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
*hb0343*
HOUSE BILL 343
F1 3lr1201
HB 1429/20 – W&M
By: Delegates Boyce, Bridges, Edelson, Embry, Kaufman, Lehman, McCaskill,
Phillips, and Young
Introduced and read first time: January 25, 2023
Assigned to: Ways and Means
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 1, 2023
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Education – Public School Athletics – Basketball Schedule 2
FOR the purpose of establishing rules for public school athletic schedules for basketball, 3
including the maximum number of games played per week and season and the 4
number of tournament games played each year; requiring each county board of 5
education to decide whether to authorize a team to play in a tournament or showcase 6
game; prohibiting a student from being disciplined for not participating in a game or 7
practice that occurs outside of the school year; and generally relating to the 8
basketball schedule for public schools. 9
BY adding to 10
Article – Education 11
Section 7–118 12
Annotated Code of Maryland 13
(2022 Replacement Volume) 14
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 15
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 16
Article – Education 17
7–118. 18
2 HOUSE BILL 343
(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE F OLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 1
INDICATED. 2
(2) “GAME” MEANS A SINGLE SPORT S COMPETITION BETWEE N TWO 3
TEAMS. 4
(3) “TOURNAMENT ” MEANS A SERIES OF GA MES THAT MAKE UP A 5
SINGLE UNIT OF COMPE TITION IN WHICH MULTIPLE TEAMS PLAY UNTIL ONE TEAM 6
WINS. 7
(B) ALL PUBLIC SCHOOL ATH LETIC SCHEDULES FOR BASKETBALL SHALL 8
COMPLY WITH THIS SEC TION. 9
(C) (1) EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS SUBSECTION , A 10
BASKETBALL TEAM MAY NOT PLAY MORE THAN T WO GAMES PER WEEK . 11
(2) A TEAM MAY ELECT TO PL AY THREE GAMES PER W EEK TWICE 12
DURING THE BASKETBAL L SEASON. 13
(D) (1) THE BASKETBALL SEASON SHALL CONSIST OF : 14
(I) 20 REGULAR SEASON GAMES FOR A TEAM THAT ELEC TS TO 15
PLAY IN A TOURNAMENT ; AND 16
(II) 22 REGULAR SEASON GAME S FOR A TEAM THAT DO ES NOT 17
ELECT TO PLAY IN A T OURNAMENT . 18
(2) THE BASKETBALL SEASON DOES NOT INCLUDE GAM ES PLAYED AS 19
PART OF A TOURNAMENT . 20
(E) (1) (I) SUBJECT TO PARAGRAPHS (2) AND (3), (3), AND (4) OF THIS 21
SUBSECTION, IN ADDITION TO THE R EGULAR SEASON GAMES AUTHORI ZED UNDER 22
SUBSECTION (D)(1) OF THIS SECTION, EACH YEAR A TEAM MAY PLAY IN UP TO FOUR 23
TOURNAMENT GAMES AND A NUMBER OF SHOWCASE GAMES DETERMINED BY THE 24
COUNTY BOARD , INCLUDING DURING A NCAA EVALUATION PERIOD. 25
(II) A TOURNAMENT OR SHO WCASE MAY BE SCHEDULED 26
OUTSIDE THE NORMAL B ASKETBALL SEASON . 27
(III) A STATE TEAM MAY PLAY I N A TOURNAMENT OR SH OWCASE 28
GAME AGAINST A TEAM FROM OUTSIDE THE STATE IF THE OUT–OF–STATE TEAM HAS 29
EQUIVALENT QUALIFICA TIONS TO THOSE REQUI RED OF THE STATE TEAM. 30
HOUSE BILL 343 3
(2) (I) EACH COUNTY BOARD SHA LL DECIDE WHETHER TO 1
AUTHORIZE A TEAM TO PLAY IN A TOURNAMENT . 2
(II) A COUNTY BOARD MAY AUT HORIZE A TEAM TO : 3
1. PLAY IN AN ALREADY SC HEDULED TOURNAMENT ; OR 4
2. PLAY IN A TOURNAMENT SCHEDULED BY THE COU NTY 5
BOARD. 6
(3) (I) EACH COUNTY BOARD SHA LL DECIDE WHETHER TO 7
AUTHORIZE A TEAM TO PLAY IN SHOWCASE GAM ES. 8
(II) A COUNTY BOARD MAY AUT HORIZE A TEAM TO : 9
1. PLAY IN AN ALREADY SC HEDULED SHOWCASE GAM E 10
OR SERIES OF GAMES ; OR 11
2. PLAY IN SHOWCASE GAME S SCHEDULED BY A COU NTY 12
BOARD. 13
(III) A COUNTY BOARD MAY AUT HORIZE TEAMS TO PLAY IN ANY 14
NUMBER OF SHOWCASE G AMES. 15
(4) A STUDENT MAY NOT BE D ISCIPLINED IN ANY MA NNER, 16
INCLUDING THROUGH TH E LOSS OR REASSIGNME NT OF A STUDENT ’S POSITION ON 17
THE TEAM, FOR NOT PARTICIPATING IN A GAME OR PRACTICE T HAT OCCURS 18
OUTSIDE OF THE SCHOO L YEAR. 19
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 20
1, 2023. 21
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.