From the Florida Times Union
By Justin Barney
Florida House passes controversial high school athletics bill
The Florida House of Representatives passed the controversial House Bill 1403 Friday morning, which aims to loosen the state’s governing body of high school athletics’ grip on certain eligibility issues.
The bill, which passed by a 78-34 vote, still has to pass another vote in the Senate and be signed by Gov. Rick Scott before becoming law. Should it pass, it would be effective July 1.
HB 1403 was authored by Kelli Stargell (R-Lakeland). It addresses eligibility concerns such as allowing a transfer student to become eligible immediately at their new school. The Florida High School Athletic Association vehemently opposed the bill, which executive director Roger Dearing and several others ripped during a Monday morning conference call.
Currently, student-athletes cannot transfer to a schools and play athletics within the same school year, according to FHSAA bylaw 9.3. There are limited exceptions to the rule.
The House bill is different than the one authored by Stephen Wise (R-Jacksonville), Senate Bill 1704, which proposes to create a separate sanctioning body for public and private schools in the state. Private schools could opt to join the Sunshine Independent Athletic Association, which currently has 30 member schools listed on its website, or stay in the FHSAA. The SIAA is composed mainly of programs that have either withdrawn or been expelled from the FHSAA due to major and repeated violations.
"The bill would benefit those who have a predisposition to cheat, tearing down barriers that exist, to keep unscrupulous coaches and coaches with unscrupulous means from following the rules," Dearing said. "It would allow improper recruiting and impressionable young students to be led astray."
Read more at Jacksonville.com: http://jacksonville.com/news/florida/2012-03-02/story/florida-house-passes-controversial-high-school-athletics-bill#ixzz1nzNJQjDS
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