Gabrielle Russon
Let the kids play, Republican Rep. Shane Abbott says.
Abbott’s bill (HB 151) to give private school students more opportunities to play middle and high school sports is moving through the House.
Under Abbott’s measure, students at private schools would be allowed to play on a team at a different school if their own school doesn’t offer the sport, regardless of whether the school is a member or not of the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA).
“If you have a student at a private school that is a member of FHSAA and they have volleyball, but your student plays softball, currently, that student would not be able to go to another school to play softball,” Abbott told the House Education and Employment Committee Thursday.
The committee passed with little debate Thursday.
The bill already won support from the House Student Academic Success Subcommittee last month and is now bound for the House floor.
Abbott also argued his bill is needed to clarify that single-sex and coed team sports are separate sports for the purpose of determining if a school offers that sport or activity.
“If the school offers coed soccer, but a lady wants to play on an all-female team, then she would be able to (play at another school) because the coed team would not prohibit her from doing that,” Abbott said.
His bill also seeks to eliminate a provision in state law that says only students who are enrolled in non-FHSAA member private schools consisting of 200 students or fewer are eligible to participate in the program in any given academic year.
Abbott said Thursday his bill allows the House Speaker and Senate President, along with the Governor, to appoint FHSAA board members.
Abbott is a Republican from DeFuniak Springs in Walton County. His district covers parts of Calhoun, Holmes, Jackson, Walton and Washington counties
A Senate version of the bill (SB 248) sponsored by the Education Pre-K Committee is also advancing through the Legislature. Earlier this week, the committee unanimously supported it. The next stop is the Senate Judiciary Committee.
If the bill passes, it would take effect July 1, before the upcoming school year.
