House File 2553 - Introduced
HOUSE FILE 2553
BY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
(SUCCESSOR TO HF 2214)
A BILL FOR
1 An Act relating to the eligibility of students enrolled
2 in nonpublic schools to compete in extracurricular
3 interscholastic athletic contests or competitions provided
4 by public schools.
5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
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1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 280.13D Participation in
2 extracurricular interscholastic athletic contests or competitions
3 provided by public schools.
4 1. a. The board of directors of a school district shall
5 allow a student who resides within the school district and who
6 is enrolled in a nonpublic school to participate immediately
7 in any extracurricular interscholastic athletic contest or
8 competition that is provided by the school district, but that
9 is not provided by the nonpublic school, pursuant to the terms
10 of an agreement between the board of directors of the school
11 district and the authorities in charge of the nonpublic school
12 that provides for the eligibility of the student.
13 b. If the board of directors of a school district has
14 established a fee for the cost of a student’s participation
15 in an extracurricular interscholastic athletic contest or
16 competition, a student who is enrolled in a nonpublic school
17 and is participating in a contest or competition at a public
18 school pursuant to paragraph “a”, or the student’s parent or
19 guardian, shall be responsible for the payment of such fee.
20 2. An organization, as defined in section 280.13, shall not
21 take into account the number of students who participate in an
22 extracurricular interscholastic athletic contest or competition
23 provided by a school district pursuant to this section when
24 determining the classification of a public school.
25 3. A student who participates in an extracurricular
26 interscholastic athletic contest or competition pursuant
27 to this section shall be deemed to satisfy the residence
28 requirements for purposes of section 256.46.
29 EXPLANATION
30 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
31 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
32 This bill relates to the eligibility of students enrolled in
33 nonpublic schools to compete in extracurricular interscholastic
34 athletic contests or competitions provided by public schools.
35 The bill requires school districts to allow a student
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 H.F. 2553
1 who resides within the school district and who is enrolled
2 in a nonpublic school to participate immediately in any
3 extracurricular interscholastic athletic contest or competition
4 provided by the school district, but that is not provided by
5 the nonpublic school, pursuant to the terms of an agreement
6 between the school district and the nonpublic school that
7 provides for the eligibility of the student. The bill
8 provides that, if a school district has established a fee for
9 the cost of a student’s participation in an extracurricular
10 interscholastic athletic contest or competition, a student
11 enrolled in a nonpublic school who is participating in the
12 contest or competition pursuant to the bill’s provisions, or
13 the student’s parent or guardian, shall be responsible for the
14 payment of such fee.
15 The bill establishes that a student who participates in an
16 extracurricular interscholastic athletic contest or competition
17 pursuant to these provisions shall be deemed to satisfy
18 the residence requirements of Code section 256.46 (rules
19 for participation in extracurricular activities by certain
20 children).
21 The bill prohibits an organization, as defined in Code
22 section 280.13 (requirements for interscholastic athletic
23 contests and competitions), from taking into account the
24 number of students who participate in an extracurricular
25 interscholastic athletic contest or competition pursuant to
26 these provisions when determining the classification of a
27 public school.
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