Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
1 State of Arkansas
2 94th General Assembly A Bill
3 Regular Session, 2023 SENATE BILL 538
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5 By: Senator B. Davis
6 By: Representative Hawk
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8 For An Act To Be Entitled
9 AN ACT TO ALLOW A STUDENT TO PARTICIPATE WITH A NON-
10 SCHOOL ATHLETIC TEAM THAT IS OF THE SAME SPORT AS THE
11 PUBLIC SCHOOL ATHLETIC TEAM OF WHICH THE STUDENT IS A
12 MEMBER UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES; AND FOR OTHER
13 PURPOSES.
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16 Subtitle
17 TO ALLOW A STUDENT TO PARTICIPATE WITH A
18 NON-SCHOOL ATHLETIC TEAM THAT IS OF THE
19 SAME SPORT AS THE PUBLIC SCHOOL ATHLETIC
20 TEAM OF WHICH THE STUDENT IS A MEMBER
21 UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES.
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24 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS:
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26 SECTION 1. Arkansas Code Title 6, Chapter 18, Subchapter 1, is amended
27 to add an additional section to read as follows:
28 6-18-114. Student participation on athletic team — Eligibility to
29 participate in non-school athletic activity — Definitions.
30 (a) As used in this section:
31 (1) "Athletic team" means a varsity sport or another competitive
32 sports-related contest, game, event, or exhibition that involves individual
33 students or teams of students either among public schools within a public
34 school district or between public schools within two (2) or more public
35 school districts;
36 (2) "Interscholastic activity" means an interschool activity
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 SB538
1 that is not included in a regular curriculum, including without limitation
2 sports and special interest clubs or groups that are subject to regulations
3 of the Arkansas Activities Association;
4 (3) "Participate" means to:
5 (A) Try out for an interscholastic activity or athletic
6 team;
7 (B) Practice with an athletic team or a group or team
8 associated with an interscholastic activity;
9 (C) Be a member of an athletic team or a group or team
10 associated with an interscholastic activity; or
11 (D) Play with an athletic team or a group or team
12 associated with an interscholastic activity; and
13 (4) "Season" means the beginning date through the end of the
14 state tournament of an interscholastic activity, as established by the
15 association.
16 (b)(1) A student who is a member of a public school athletic team and
17 who has engaged in a competition for an interscholastic activity may
18 participate with a non-school athletic team that is of the same sport as the
19 public school athletic team of which the student is a member during the same
20 season in which the student participates on the public school athletic team
21 without losing eligibility to participate on the public school athletic team
22 of which the student is a member.
23 (2) A student shall not participate with a non-school athletic
24 team as permitted under subdivision (b)(1) of this section on days when the
25 public school athletic team of which the student is a member is scheduled to
26 practice, compete, or otherwise play.
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