Florida Senate - 2026 CS for CS for SB 178
By the Committees on Judiciary; and Education Pre-K - 12; and
Senator Jones
590-02456-26 2026178c2
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to athletics in public K-12 schools;
3 amending s. 1006.20, F.S.; requiring the Florida High
4 School Athletic Association to adopt bylaws
5 authorizing a head coach to support the welfare of a
6 student by using personal funds to provide certain
7 effects to the student; requiring the head coach to
8 report such use of personal funds to the association;
9 providing that such use of personal funds is presumed
10 not to be an impermissible benefit; providing
11 exceptions; providing a limitation on the annual
12 amount of personal funds a head coach may use per
13 athletic team; authorizing other athletic associations
14 to adopt similar bylaws; amending ss. 768.135,
15 1002.20, 1006.165, and 1012.468, F.S.; conforming
16 cross-references; providing an effective date.
17
18 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
19
20 Section 1. Present paragraphs (c) through (n) of subsection
21 (2) of section 1006.20, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as
22 paragraphs (d) through (o), respectively, and a new paragraph
23 (c) is added to that subsection, to read:
24 1006.20 Athletics in public K-12 schools.—
25 (2) ADOPTION OF BYLAWS, POLICIES, OR GUIDELINES.—
26 (c) The FHSAA shall adopt bylaws that authorize the head
27 coach of an athletic team to support the welfare of a student he
28 or she coaches only by using personal funds to provide, in good
29 faith, effects such as food, transportation, and recovery
30 services.
31 1. A head coach who uses personal funds to provide such
32 effects must report such use to the FHSAA in a manner provided
33 by FHSAA bylaw.
34 2. Such use of personal funds is presumed not to be an
35 impermissible benefit, unless such use of personal funds is:
36 a. Not reported;
37 b. Reported and deemed not to be in good faith by the
38 FHSAA; or
39 c. Used for recruiting purposes.
40 3. The maximum amount of personal funds a head coach may
41 use per athletic team per year is $15,000.
42
43 Any other organization governing interscholastic athletic
44 competition in this state may adopt bylaws similar to those
45 required by this paragraph.
46 Section 2. Subsection (3) of section 768.135, Florida
47 Statutes, is amended to read:
48 768.135 Volunteer team physicians; immunity.—
49 (3) A practitioner licensed under chapter 458, chapter 459,
50 chapter 460, or s. 464.012 or registered under s. 464.0123 who
51 gratuitously and in good faith conducts an evaluation pursuant
52 to s. 1006.20(2)(d) s. 1006.20(2)(c) is not liable for any civil
53 damages arising from that evaluation unless the evaluation was
54 conducted in a wrongful manner.
55 Section 3. Paragraph (b) of subsection (17) of section
56 1002.20, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
57 1002.20 K-12 student and parent rights.—Parents of public
58 school students must receive accurate and timely information
59 regarding their child’s academic progress and must be informed
60 of ways they can help their child to succeed in school. K-12
61 students and their parents are afforded numerous statutory
62 rights including, but not limited to, the following:
63 (17) ATHLETICS; PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL.—
64 (b) Medical evaluation and electrocardiogram.—Before
65 participating in athletics, students must:
66 1. Satisfactorily pass a medical evaluation each year,
67 unless the parent objects in writing based on religious tenets
68 or practices, in accordance with s. 1006.20(2)(e) s.
69 1006.20(2)(d); and
70 2. As applicable under s. 1006.20, receive an
71 electrocardiogram, unless the parent objects in writing based on
72 religious tenets or practices or secures a certificate of
73 medical exception in accordance with s. 1006.20(2)(e) s.
74 1006.20(2)(d) or the school district is unable to obtain a
75 public or private partnership for the provision of an
76 electrocardiogram pursuant to s. 1006.165.
77 Section 4. Subsection (3) of section 1006.165, Florida
78 Statutes, is amended to read:
79 1006.165 Well-being of students participating in
80 extracurricular activities; training.—
81 (3) Each school district must pursue public and private
82 partnerships to provide low-cost electrocardiograms to the
83 student. A student athlete is exempt from the requirement in s.
84 1006.20(2)(d)4. s. 1006.20(2)(c)4. if he or she resides in a
85 school district that is unable to obtain a public or private
86 partnership to provide an electrocardiogram at a rate of less
87 than $50 per student.
88 Section 5. Paragraph (g) of subsection (2) of section
89 1012.468, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
90 1012.468 Exceptions to certain fingerprinting and criminal
91 history checks.—
92 (2) A district school board shall exempt from the screening
93 requirements set forth in ss. 1012.465 and 1012.467 the
94 following noninstructional contractors:
95 (g) An investigator for the Florida High School Athletic
96 Association (FHSAA) who meets the requirements under s.
97 1006.20(2)(f) s. 1006.20(2)(e).
98 Section 6. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.