EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0851*
SENATE BILL 851
F1 4lr3150
CF HB 971
By: Senators Corderman and McKay
Introduced and read first time: February 2, 2024
Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Public Schools – Interscholastic Athletics – Student Eligibility Waiver and 2
School Classification 3
FOR the purpose of authorizing a county board of education to waive a certain eligibility 4
requirement for participation in interscholastic athletics at a certain Maryland 5
Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association member school for students who 6
attend certain public high schools; requiring a county superintendent of schools to 7
report to the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association the school 8
enrollment of certain schools in a certain manner; and generally relating to 9
interscholastic athletics at public schools. 10
BY adding to 11
Article – Education 12
Section 7–135 13
Annotated Code of Maryland 14
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2023 Supplement) 15
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 16
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 17
Article – Education 18
7–135. 19
(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 20
INDICATED. 21
(2) “MEMBER SCHOOL ” MEANS A PUBLIC SCHOO L THAT IS A MEMBER 22
OF THE MARYLAND PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION. 23
2 SENATE BILL 851
(3) “ZONED HIGH SCHOOL” MEANS THE PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL THAT 1
A STUDENT WOULD BE REQUIRED TO ATTEND UNDER THE REGULATION S OF THE 2
COUNTY BOARD . 3
(B) FOR A STUDENT TO PARTICIPATE IN INTER SCHOLASTIC ATHLETICS AT 4
THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVE L UNDER COMAR 13A.06.03.02, A COUNTY BOARD MAY 5
WAIVE THE ELIGIBILIT Y REQUIREMENT THAT THE STUDENT BE ENROLLED AT AND 6
ATTEND A MEMBER SCHOOL IF: 7
(1) THE STUDENT ATTENDS A PUBLIC SCH OOL IN THE COUNTY THAT 8
IS NOT THE STUDENT ’S ZONED HIGH SCHOOL ; 9
(2) THE PUBLIC SCHOOL THE STUDENT ATTENDS UNDER ITEM (1) OF 10
THIS SUBSECTION DOES NOT HAVE AN INT ERSCHOLASTIC ATHLETI CS PROGRAM ; 11
AND 12
(3) THE STUDENT MEETS ALL OTHER ELIGIBILITY RE QUIREMENTS 13
ESTABLISHED BY THE COUNTY BOARD AND THE MARYLAND PUBLIC SECONDARY 14
SCHOOLS ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION. 15
(C) A STUDENT WHO RECEIVES AN ELIGIBILITY WAIVER UNDER 16
SUBSECTION (B) OF THIS SECTION MAY ONLY PARTICIPATE IN INTERSCHOLASTIC 17
ATHLETICS AT THEIR Z ONED HIGH SCHOOL . 18
(D) FOR PURPOSES OF DETERMINING THE CLASSIFICATION OF MEMBER 19
SCHOOLS FOR ATHLETIC CONTE STS UNDER COMAR 13A.06.03.06, THE COUNTY 20
SUPERINTENDENT SHALL REPORT TO THE MARYLAND PUBLIC SECONDARY 21
SCHOOLS ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION AS THE ACTUAL ENROLLMENT OF THE MEMBER 22
SCHOOL: 23
(1) THE ACTUAL SCHOOL ENR OLLMENT OF THE MEMBER SCHOOL IN 24
GRADES 9, 10, AND 11 AS OF SEPTEMBER 30 OF EACH EVEN–NUMBERED YEAR; PLUS 25
(2) THE ACTUAL NUMBER OF STUDENTS AUTHORIZED TO 26
PARTICIPATE IN INTERSCHOLASTIC ATHL ETICS AT THE MEMBER SCHOOL UNDER 27
SUBSECTION (B) OF THIS SECTION. 28
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 29
1, 2024. 30