ENROLLED
2025 Legislature CS for CS for CS for SB 1070, 2nd Engrossed
20251070er
1
2 An act relating to electrocardiograms for student
3 athletes; providing a short title; amending s.
4 1002.20, F.S.; making technical changes; conforming
5 provisions to changes made by the act; amending s.
6 1006.20, F.S.; authorizing certain out-of-state
7 licensed practitioners to conduct medical evaluations;
8 requiring certain electrocardiograms to be
9 administered in accordance with specified standards;
10 providing that specified electrocardiograms satisfy
11 certain requirements; requiring certain students to
12 complete at least one electrocardiogram screening to
13 participate in interscholastic athletic competition
14 beginning in a specified school year; providing an
15 exemption from such requirements; requiring the
16 Florida High School Athletic Association to adopt
17 bylaws and policies prohibiting students with abnormal
18 electrocardiograms from participating in
19 interscholastic athletic competition until a written
20 medical clearance is submitted to the school;
21 providing requirements for such written medical
22 clearance; providing immunity from liability; amending
23 s. 1006.165, F.S.; requiring school districts to
24 pursue specified public and private partnerships for
25 the provision of electrocardiograms to students;
26 providing an exemption for students from such
27 procedures under certain circumstances; providing an
28 effective date.
29
30 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
31
32 Section 1. This act may be cited as the “Second Chance
33 Act.”
34 Section 2. Paragraph (b) of subsection (17) of section
35 1002.20, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
36 1002.20 K-12 student and parent rights.—Parents of public
37 school students must receive accurate and timely information
38 regarding their child’s academic progress and must be informed
39 of ways they can help their child to succeed in school. K-12
40 students and their parents are afforded numerous statutory
41 rights including, but not limited to, the following:
42 (17) ATHLETICS; PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL.—
43 (b) Medical evaluation and electrocardiogram.—Before
44 participating in athletics, students must:
45 1. Satisfactorily pass a medical evaluation each year
46 before participating in athletics, unless the parent objects in
47 writing based on religious tenets or practices, in accordance
48 with the provisions of s. 1006.20(2)(d); and
49 2. As applicable under s. 1006.20, receive an
50 electrocardiogram, unless the parent objects in writing based on
51 religious tenets or practices or secures a certificate of
52 medical exception in accordance with s. 1006.20(2)(d) or the
53 school district is unable to obtain a public or private
54 partnership for the provision of an electrocardiogram pursuant
55 to s. 1006.165.
56 Section 3. Paragraphs (c) and (d) of subsection (2) of
57 section 1006.20, Florida Statutes, are amended, and paragraph
58 (n) is added to that subsection, to read:
59 1006.20 Athletics in public K-12 schools.—
60 (2) ADOPTION OF BYLAWS, POLICIES, OR GUIDELINES.—
61 (c)1. The FHSAA shall adopt bylaws that require all
62 students participating in interscholastic athletic competition
63 or who are candidates for an interscholastic athletic team to
64 satisfactorily pass a medical evaluation each year before
65 participating in interscholastic athletic competition or
66 engaging in any practice, tryout, workout, conditioning, or
67 other physical activity associated with the student’s candidacy
68 for an interscholastic athletic team, including activities that
69 occur outside of the school year. Such medical evaluation may be
70 administered only by a practitioner licensed under chapter 458,
71 chapter 459, chapter 460, or s. 464.012 or registered under s.
72 464.0123, or a practitioner who holds an active equivalent
73 licensure issued by the state in which the medical evaluation is
74 performed, and in good standing with the practitioner’s
75 regulatory board. The electrocardiogram required under
76 subparagraph 4. shall be administered in accordance with
77 standards established by the FHSAA’s Sports Medicine Advisory
78 Committee. An electrocardiogram completed up to 2 years prior to
79 the 2026-2027 school year satisfies this requirement.
80 2. The FHSAA bylaws must shall establish requirements for
81 eliciting a student’s medical history and performing the medical
82 evaluation and electrocardiogram required under this paragraph,
83 which shall include a physical assessment of the student’s
84 physical capabilities to participate in interscholastic athletic
85 competition as contained in a uniform preparticipation physical
86 evaluation and history form. The evaluation form must: shall
87 a. Incorporate the recommendations of the American Heart
88 Association for participation cardiovascular screening.
89 b. and shall Provide a place for the signature of the
90 practitioner performing the evaluation with an attestation that
91 each examination procedure listed on the form was performed by
92 the practitioner or by someone under the direct supervision of
93 the practitioner. The form must shall also contain a place for
94 the practitioner to indicate whether if a referral to another
95 practitioner was made in lieu of completion of a certain
96 examination procedure. The form must shall provide a place for
97 the practitioner to whom the student was referred to complete
98 the remaining sections and attest to that portion of the
99 examination.
100 c. The preparticipation physical evaluation form shall
101 Advise students to complete a cardiovascular assessment and
102 electrocardiogram, shall include information concerning
103 alternative cardiovascular evaluation and diagnostic tests, and
104 require the. results of such medical evaluation to must be
105 provided to the school.
106 3. A student is not eligible to participate, as provided in
107 s. 1006.15(3), in any interscholastic athletic competition or
108 engage in any practice, tryout, workout, or other physical
109 activity associated with the student’s candidacy for an
110 interscholastic athletic team until the results of the medical
111 evaluation have been received and approved by the school.
112 4. Beginning in the 2026-2027 school year and thereafter,
113 the first time a student who is in grades 9 through 12
114 participates in an interscholastic athletic competition or is a
115 candidate for an interscholastic athletic team, he or she shall
116 complete at least one electrocardiogram screening that meets the
117 requirements of s. 1006.165.
118 (d) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (c), a
119 student shall be granted an exception to the electrocardiogram
120 requirement if the parent of the student objects in writing to
121 the student receiving an electrocardiogram because the
122 electrocardiogram is contrary to his or her religious tenets or
123 practices or if a physician licensed under chapter 458 or
124 chapter 459 in good standing with the Board of Medicine or Board
125 of Osteopathic Medicine, as applicable, provides a certificate
126 of medical exception. A student may participate in
127 interscholastic athletic competition or be a candidate for an
128 interscholastic athletic team if the parent of the student
129 objects in writing to the student undergoing a medical
130 evaluation because such evaluation is contrary to his or her
131 religious tenets or practices. However, in such case of any such
132 exception or objection, there shall be no liability on the part
133 of any person or entity in a position to otherwise rely on the
134 results of such medical evaluation or electrocardiogram for any
135 damages resulting from the student’s injury or death arising
136 directly from the student’s participation in interscholastic
137 athletics where an undisclosed medical condition that would have
138 been revealed in the medical evaluation or electrocardiogram is
139 a proximate cause of the injury or death.
140 (n) The FHSAA shall adopt bylaws or policies that prohibit
141 a student athlete who receives an abnormal electrocardiogram
142 result from participating in tryouts, practice, or competition
143 until the student submits to the school a written medical
144 clearance to participate. Medical clearance must be authorized
145 by an appropriate health care practitioner listed in
146 subparagraph (c)1. who is trained in the diagnosis, evaluation,
147 and management of electrocardiograms. There shall be no
148 liability on the part of a school district in a position to
149 otherwise rely on the results of the electrocardiogram and
150 medical clearance for any damages resulting from the student’s
151 injury or death arising from a cardiac event due to the
152 student’s participation in interscholastic athletics.
153 Section 4. Subsection (3) is added to section 1006.165,
154 Florida Statutes, to read:
155 1006.165 Well-being of students participating in
156 extracurricular activities; training.—
157 (3) Each school district must pursue public and private
158 partnerships to provide low-cost electrocardiograms to the
159 student. A student athlete is exempt from the requirement in s.
160 1006.20(2)(c)4. if he or she resides in a school district that
161 is unable to obtain a public or private partnership to provide
162 an electrocardiogram at a rate of less than $50 per student.
163 Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.