Text of KY SB 106 (2021)

UNOFFICIAL COPY 21 RS BR 962 Page 1 of 10 XXXX Jacketed AN ACT relating to athletics. 1 Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: 2 Section 1. KRS 156.070 is amended to read as follows: 3 (1) The Kentucky Board of Education shall have the management and control of the 4 common schools and all programs operated in these schools, including 5 interscholastic athletics, the Kentucky School for the Deaf, the Kentucky School for 6 the Blind, and community education programs and services. 7 (2) The Kentucky Board of Education may designate an organization or agency to 8 manage interscholastic athletics in the common schools, provided that the rules, 9 regulations, and bylaws of any organization or agency so designated shall be 10 approved by the board, and provided further that any administrative hearing 11 conducted by the designated managing organization or agency shall be conducted in 12 accordance with KRS Chapter 13B. 13 (a) The state board or its designated agency shall assure through promulgation of 14 administrative regulations that if a secondary school sponsors or intends to 15 sponsor an athletic activity or sport that is similar to a sport for which 16 National Collegiate Athletic Association members offer an athletic 17 scholarship, the school shall sponsor the athletic activity or sport for which a 18 scholarship is offered. The administrative regulations shall specify which 19 athletic activities are similar to sports for which National Collegiate Athletic 20 Association members offer scholarships. 21 (b) Beginning with the 2003-2004 school year, the state board shall require any 22 agency or organization designated by the state board to manage interscholastic 23 athletics to adopt bylaws that establish as members of the agency's or 24 organization's board of control one (1) representative of nonpublic member 25 schools who is elected by the nonpublic school members of the agency or 26 organization from regions one (1) through eight (8) and one (1) representative 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 21 RS BR 962 Page 2 of 10 XXXX Jacketed of nonpublic member schools who is elected by the nonpublic member 1 schools of the agency or organization from regions nine (9) through sixteen 2 (16). The nonpublic school representatives on the board of control shall not be 3 from classification A1 or D1 schools. Following initial election of these 4 nonpublic school representatives to the agency's or organization's board of 5 control, terms of the nonpublic school representatives shall be staggered so 6 that only one (1) nonpublic school member is elected in each even-numbered 7 year. 8 (c) The state board or any agency designated by the state board to manage 9 interscholastic athletics shall not promulgate rules, administrative regulations, 10 or bylaws that prohibit pupils in grades seven (7) to eight (8) from 11 participating in any high school sports except for high school varsity soccer 12 and football, or from participating on more than one (1) school-sponsored 13 team at the same time in the same sport. The Kentucky Board of Education, or 14 an agency designated by the board to manage interscholastic athletics, may 15 promulgate administrative regulations restricting, limiting, or prohibiting 16 participation in high school varsity soccer and football for students who have 17 not successfully completed the eighth grade. 18 (d) 1. The state board or any agency designated by the state board to manage 19 interscholastic athletics shall allow a member school's team or students 20 to play against students of a non-member at-home private school, or a 21 team of students from non-member at-home private schools, if the non- 22 member at-home private schools and students comply with this 23 subsection. 24 2. A non-member at-home private school's team and students shall comply 25 with the rules for student athletes, including rules concerning: 26 a. Age; 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 21 RS BR 962 Page 3 of 10 XXXX Jacketed b. School semesters; 1 c. Scholarships; 2 d. Physical exams; 3 e. Foreign student eligibility; and 4 f. Amateurs. 5 3. A coach of a non-member at-home private school's team shall comply 6 with the rules concerning certification of member school coaches as 7 required by the state board or any agency designated by the state board 8 to manage interscholastic athletics. 9 4. This subsection shall not allow a non-member at-home private school's 10 team to participate in a sanctioned: 11 a. Conference; 12 b. Conference tournament; 13 c. District tournament; 14 d. Regional tournament; or 15 e. State tournament or event. 16 5. This subsection does not allow eligibility for a recognition, award, or 17 championship sponsored by the state board or any agency designated by 18 the state board to manage interscholastic athletics. 19 6. A non-member at-home private school's team or students may 20 participate in interscholastic athletics permitted, offered, or sponsored by 21 the state board or any agency designated by the state board to manage 22 interscholastic athletics. 23 (e) Every local board of education shall require an annual medical examination 24 performed and signed by a physician, physician assistant, advanced practice 25 registered nurse, or chiropractor, if performed within the professional's scope 26 of practice, for each student seeking eligibility to participate in any school 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 21 RS BR 962 Page 4 of 10 XXXX Jacketed athletic activity or sport. The Kentucky Board of Education or any 1 organization or agency designated by the state board to manage interscholastic 2 athletics shall not promulgate administrative regulations or adopt any policies 3 or bylaws that are contrary to the provisions of this paragraph. 4 (f) Any student who turns nineteen (19) years of age prior to August 1 shall not 5 be eligible for high school athletics in Kentucky. Any student who turns 6 nineteen (19) years of age on or after August 1 shall remain eligible for that 7 school year only. An exception to the provisions of this paragraph shall be 8 made, and the student shall be eligible for high school athletics in Kentucky if 9 the student: 10 1. Qualified for exceptional children services and had an individual 11 education program developed by an admissions and release committee 12 (ARC) while the student was enrolled in the primary school program; 13 2. Was retained in the primary school program because of an ARC 14 committee recommendation; and 15 3. Has not completed four (4) consecutive years or eight (8) consecutive 16 semesters of eligibility following initial promotion from grade eight (8) 17 to grade nine (9). 18 (g) The state board or any agency designated by the state board to manage 19 interscholastic athletics shall promulgate administrative regulations or 20 bylaws that provide that: 21 1. A member school shall designate all athletic teams, activities, and 22 sports as one (1) of the following categories as: 23 a. "Boys"; 24 b. "Coed"; or 25 b. "Girls"; 26 2. a. An athletic activity or sport designated as "girls" shall not be 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 21 RS BR 962 Page 5 of 10 XXXX Jacketed open to members of the male sex; 1 b. Nothing in this section shall be construed to restrict the 2 eligibility of any student to participate in an athletic activity or 3 sport designated as "boys" or "coed"; and 4 3. Neither the state board, nor any agency designated by the state board 5 to manage interscholastic athletics, nor any school district, nor any 6 member school shall entertain a complaint, open an investigation, or 7 take any other adverse action against a school for maintaining 8 separate interscholastic or intramural athletic teams, activities, or 9 sports for students of the female sex. 10 (h) 1. The state board or any agency designated by the state board to manage 11 interscholastic athletics shall promulgate administrative regulations that 12 permit a school district to employ or assign nonteaching or noncertified 13 personnel or personnel without postsecondary education credit hours to 14 serve in a coaching position. The administrative regulations shall give 15 preference to the hiring or assignment of certified personnel in coaching 16 positions. 17 2. A person employed in a coaching position shall be a high school 18 graduate and at least twenty-one (21) years of age and shall submit to a 19 criminal background check in accordance with KRS 160.380. 20 3. The administrative regulations shall specify post-hire requirements for 21 persons employed in coaching positions. 22 4. The regulations shall permit a predetermined number of hours of 23 professional development training approved by the state board or its 24 designated agency to be used in lieu of postsecondary education credit 25 hour requirements. 26 5. A local school board may specify post-hire requirements for personnel 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 21 RS BR 962 Page 6 of 10 XXXX Jacketed employed in coaching positions in addition to those specified in 1 subparagraph 3. of this paragraph. 2 (3) (a) The Kentucky Board of Education is hereby authorized to lease from the State 3 Property and Buildings Commission, or others, whether public or private, any 4 lands, buildings, structures, installations, and facilities suitable for use in 5 establishing and furthering television and related facilities as an aid or 6 supplement to classroom instruction, throughout the Commonwealth, and for 7 incidental use in any other proper public functions. The lease may be for any 8 initial term commencing with the date of the lease and ending with the next 9 ensuing June 30, which is the close of the then-current fiscal biennium of the 10 Commonwealth, with exclusive options in favor of the board to renew the 11 same for successive ensuing bienniums, July 1 in each even year to June 30 in 12 the next ensuing even year; and the rentals may be fixed at the sums in each 13 biennium, if renewed, sufficient to enable the State Property and Buildings 14 Commission to pay therefrom the maturing principal of and interest on, and 15 provide reserves for, any revenue bonds which the State Property and 16 Buildings Commission may determine to be necessary and sufficient, in 17 agreement with the board, to provide the cost of acquiring the television and 18 related facilities, with appurtenances, and costs as may be incident to the 19 issuance of the bonds. 20 (b) Each option of the Kentucky Board of Education to renew the lease for a 21 succeeding biennial term may be exercised at any time after the adjournment 22 of the session of the General Assembly at which appropriations shall have 23 been made for the operation of the state government for such succeeding 24 biennial term, by notifying the State Property and Buildings Commission in 25 writing, signed by the chief state school officer, and delivered to the secretary 26 of the Finance and Administration Cabinet as a member of the commission. 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 21 RS BR 962 Page 7 of 10 XXXX Jacketed The option shall be deemed automatically exercised, and the lease 1 automatically renewed for the succeeding biennium, effective on the first day 2 thereof, unless a written notice of the board's election not to renew shall have 3 been delivered in the office of the secretary of the Finance and Administration 4 Cabinet before the close of business on the last working day in April 5 immediately preceding the beginning of the succeeding biennium. 6 (c) The Kentucky Board of Education shall not itself operate leased television 7 facilities, or undertake the preparation of the educational presentations or 8 films to be transmitted thereby, but may enter into one (1) or more contracts to 9 provide therefor, with any public agency and instrumentality of the 10 Commonwealth having, or able to provide, a staff with proper technical 11 qualifications, upon which agency and instrumentality the board, through the 12 chief state school officer and the Department of Education, is represented in 13 such manner as to coordinate matters of curriculum with the curricula 14 prescribed for the public schools of the Commonwealth. Any contract for the 15 operation of the leased television or related facilities may permit limited and 16 special uses of the television or related facilities for other programs in the 17 public interest, subject to the reasonable terms and conditions as the board and 18 the operating agency and instrumentality may agree upon; but any contract 19 shall affirmatively forbid the use of the television or related facilities, at any 20 time or in any manner, in the dissemination of political propaganda or in 21 furtherance of the interest of any political party or candidate for public office, 22 or for commercial advertising. No lease between the board and the State 23 Property and Buildings Commission shall bind the board to pay rentals for 24 more than one (1) fiscal biennium at a time, subject to the aforesaid renewal 25 options. The board may receive and may apply to rental payments under any 26 lease and to the cost of providing for the operation of the television or related 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 21 RS BR 962 Page 8 of 10 XXXX Jacketed facilities not only appropriations which may be made to it from state funds, 1 from time to time, but also contributions, gifts, matching funds, devises, and 2 bequests from any source, whether federal or state, and whether public or 3 private, so long as the same are not conditioned upon any improper use of the 4 television or related facilities in a manner inconsistent with the provisions of 5 this subsection. 6 (4) The state board may, on the recommendation and with the advice of the chief state 7 school officer, prescribe, print, publish, and distribute at public expense such 8 administrative regulations, courses of study, curriculums, bulletins, programs, 9 outlines, reports, and placards as each deems necessary for the efficient 10 management, control, and operation of the schools and programs under its 11 jurisdiction. All administrative regulations published or distributed by the board 12 shall be enclosed in a booklet or binder on which the words "informational copy" 13 shall be clearly stamped or printed. 14 (5) Upon the recommendation of the chief state school officer or his designee, the state 15 board shall establish policy or act on all matters relating to programs, services, 16 publications, capital construction and facility renovation, equipment, litigation, 17 contracts, budgets, and all other matters which are the administrative responsibility 18 of the Department of Education. 19 SECTION 2. A NEW SECTION OF KRS CHAPTER 158 IS CREATED TO 20 READ AS FOLLOWS: 21 (1) Any student: 22 (a) Who is deprived of an athletic opportunity or suffers any direct or indirect 23 harm; or 24 (b) Who is subject to retaliation or other adverse action by a school, the state 25 board, or agency designated by the state board to manage interscholastic 26 athletics; 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 21 RS BR 962 Page 9 of 10 XXXX Jacketed as a result of a violation of an administrative regulation or bylaw promulgated in 1 accordance with subsection (2)(g) of Section 1 of this Act shall have a private 2 cause of action for injunctive relief, monetary damages, and any other relief 3 available under law against the school in violation. 4 (2) A civil action under this section must be initiated within two (2) years after the 5 date the harm occurred. 6 (3) For the purposes of this section, monetary damages shall include any 7 psychological, emotional, and physical harm suffered, reasonable attorney's fees 8 and costs, and any other appropriate relief. 9 SECTION 3. A NEW SECTION OF KRS CHAPTER 164 IS CREATED TO 10 READ AS FOLLOWS: 11 (1) (a) A public postsecondary education institution or private postsecondary 12 education institution that is a member of a national intercollegiate athletic 13 association shall designate all intercollegiate and intramural athletic teams, 14 activities, sports, and events that are sponsored or authorized by the 15 institution as one (1) of the following categories: 16 1. "Mens"; 17 2. "Coed"; or 18 2. "Womens." 19 (b) 1. A public postsecondary education institution or private postsecondary 20 education institution that is a member of a national intercollegiate 21 athletic association shall prohibit a member of the male sex from 22 competing in any intercollegiate or intramural athletic team, activity, 23 sport, or event designated as "womens." 24 2. Nothing in this section shall be construed to restrict the eligibility of 25 any student to participate in an athletic activity or sport designated as 26 "mens" or "coed." 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 21 RS BR 962 Page 10 of 10 XXXX Jacketed (2) A government entity, licensing or accrediting organization, or athletic association 1 or organization shall not entertain a complaint, open an investigation, or take 2 any other adverse action against a postsecondary education institution for 3 maintaining a separate interscholastic or intramural athletic team, activity, sport, 4 or event for members of the female sex. 5 (3) Any student who: 6 (a) Is deprived of an athletic opportunity or suffers any direct or indirect harm 7 as a result of a violation of subsection (1) of this section; or 8 (b) Is subject to retaliation or other adverse action by a postsecondary 9 institution as a result of reporting a violation of subsection (1) of this 10 section; 11 shall have a private cause of action for injunctive relief, damages, and any other 12 relief available under law against the postsecondary institution in violation. 13 (4) A civil action under this section must be initiated within two (2) years after the 14 harm occurred. 15 (5) For the purposes of this section, monetary damages shall include any 16 psychological, emotional, and physical harm suffered, reasonable attorney's fees 17 and costs, and any other appropriate relief. 18 Section 4. This Act may be cited as the "Save Women’s Sports Act." 19