HF 2302 (LSB 5967YH (3) 84)

HOUSE FILE 2302

BY  BRANDENBURG

A BILL FOR

An Act relating to student athletic activities in public and nonpublic schools.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  NEW SECTION.  280.13D  Out-of-season student athletics.
   1.  For purposes of this section:
   a.  “In season” for a particular interscholastic athletic activity means the period, whether or not occurring during the school year, from the official first day of practice beginning an athletic season until the finals of tournament play concluding the athletic season.
   b.  “Out-of-season” for a particular interscholastic athletic activity means the period, whether or not occurring during the school year, which is not in season.
   c.  “School coaching personnel” means persons, whether school employees or volunteers, who engage in coaching of interscholastic athletic activities for school districts or nonpublic schools.
   d.  “Student athlete” means a student who participates in a particular interscholastic athletic activity.
   2.  School coaching personnel shall be prohibited from having contact with a student athlete out of season if such contact interferes with student academics or with student participation in an interscholastic athletic activity which is in season. School coaching personnel shall not otherwise be prohibited from having contact with a student athlete out of season.
   3.  A student athlete shall not be subject to any penalty for choosing not to participate in any activity relating to an interscholastic athletic activity if such activity occurs out of season for that particular interscholastic athletic activity.
EXPLANATION
   This bill prohibits school coaching personnel from having contact with a student athlete out of season if such contact interferes with student academics or with student participation in an interscholastic athletic activity which is in season. The bill provides that school coaching personnel shall not otherwise be prohibited from having contact with a student athlete out of season. The bill also provides that a student athlete shall not be subject to any penalty for choosing not to participate in any activity relating to an interscholastic athletic activity which occurs out of season for that interscholastic athletic activity. The bill includes definitions for “in season”, “out of season”, “school coaching personnel”, and “student athlete”.