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.