BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 2721

By: Lucio III

Public Education

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Participation in an extracurricular activity is a privilege for students, and those who wish to participate in these activities should be willing to accept the responsibilities that come from choosing to participate. Concerns have been raised over an incident reported recently involving a high school football player assaulting a referee on the field during a football game, which has sparked calls to limit participation in and practice for future extracurricular activities when a student engages in certain assaultive conduct. H.B. 2721 seeks to address these concerns and prohibit students from participating in any future extracurricular activities if they engage in assaultive conduct against an extracurricular activity official.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 2721 amends the Education Code to require that a student who is enrolled in a public school district or who participates in a University Interscholastic League (UIL) competition be prohibited from participation in any future extracurricular activity sponsored or sanctioned by the district or the UIL if the student engages in assaultive conduct involving intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly causing bodily injury as follows:

· against a person serving as referee, judge, or other official of an extracurricular activity; and

· in retaliation for or as a result of the person's actions taken in performing the duties of a referee, judge, or other official of the extracurricular activity.

The bill excludes such a student from the students suspended from participation in extracurricular activities that may practice or rehearse with other students for an extracurricular activity but may not participate in a competition or other public performance. The bill applies beginning with the 2021-2022 school year.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2021.