Florida bill would ban high school athletes convicted of felonies

(The Center Square) – Florida lawmakers have filed a new bill that could ban high school athletes who are convicted as adults of several felonies. 

Senate Bill 530 is sponsored by state Sen. Nick DiCeglie, R-St. Petersburg, and would require the Florida High School Athletic Association to adopt bylaws prohibiting students convicted of certain felonies as adults from participating in specific competitions. An identical bill was also filed by state Rep. Berny Jacques, R-Clearwater, House Bill 545.

In both of the bill’s text, it states that the FHSAA will establish eligibility requirements for all students who participate in athletic competitions in all member high schools across the state.

These bylaws must prohibit any student from participating in high school athletic competitions that has been sentenced as an adult of the following crimes: Homicide, sexual battery, or a lewd or lascivious offense.

The bill states that this would apply to a student regardless of the disposition of the student’s case. This includes adjudication of guilt, the withholding of adjudication or sentencing as a youth offender.

SB 530 further states that bylaws that govern transfers and residence must allow a student to be eligible to participate in the school they enroll. Bylaws are also required to allow a student to be eligible to compete in that school for as long as they are enrolled and this applies to both public and private school students.

Any changes that are made to FHSAA bylaws must be ratified by the state Board of Education, and any bylaw that has been adopted must also first be ratified by the same board.

According to FHSAA’s website, the Association’s Eligibility and Compliance Services Department — responsible for enforcing policies and bylaws — is “committed to upholding the bylaws and policies established by the Representative Assembly and FHSAA Board of Directors.”

In May, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a series of bills dubbed Let Kids Be Kids, which included HB 225. This bill expanded youth sports and imposed state control over the FHSAA.

In June 2021, DeSantis also signed SB 1028 which created the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act which required public high schools and postsecondary institutions to designate sports teams as male, female, or coed based on the biological sex of team members.

Female-designated sports or athletic teams are also prohibited from being open to biological males.