By Nixon                                         H.B. No. 838

      75R4904 KKA-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to participation in University Interscholastic League

 1-3     sponsored activities.

 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Subchapter D, Chapter 33, Education Code, is

 1-6     amended by adding Section 33.086 to read as follows:

 1-7           Sec. 33.086.  PARTICIPATION IN UNIVERSITY INTERSCHOLASTIC

 1-8     LEAGUE ACTIVITIES.  (a)  The University Interscholastic League may

 1-9     not deny a child eligible to attend school under Section 25.001(a)

1-10     the opportunity to participate in an activity sponsored by the

1-11     league on the ground that the child does not attend public school.

1-12     The league may not deny a school the opportunity to participate in

1-13     an activity sponsored by the league because the school is a private

1-14     school.  The league's rules must be designed to allow all children

1-15     and schools in this state to participate in league activities in

1-16     the same manner.

1-17           (b)  This section does not exempt a child from satisfying, as

1-18     provided by league rule, each eligibility requirement for

1-19     participating in a league-sponsored activity other than class

1-20     attendance requirements.

1-21           (c)  The instructor of a child assigned to a public school

1-22     for purposes of participation in league-sponsored extracurricular

1-23     activities must provide to the principal of the school, at the time

1-24     grades must be reported for students enrolled in the school, an

 2-1     affidavit affirming that the child:

 2-2                 (1)  is taking a number of grade-level courses

 2-3     equivalent to the academic requirements for a full-time student at

 2-4     the child's grade level enrolled in the school; and

 2-5                 (2)  has grades for that reporting period that satisfy

 2-6     grade requirements under Section 33.081 for participation in

 2-7     extracurricular activities.

 2-8           (d)  The principal, director, or other executive officer of a

 2-9     private school that participates in league-sponsored

2-10     extracurricular activities through a private school team must

2-11     provide to the league, at the time grades must be reported for

2-12     students enrolled in public schools competing against the team, an

2-13     affidavit affirming that each child participating on the team:

2-14                 (1)  is taking a number of grade-level courses

2-15     equivalent to the academic requirements for a full-time student at

2-16     the child's grade level enrolled in the public schools competing

2-17     against the team; and

2-18                 (2)  has grades for that reporting period that satisfy

2-19     grade requirements under Section 33.081 for participation in

2-20     extracurricular activities.

2-21           (e)  In this section, "private school" has the meaning

2-22     assigned by Section 22.081.

2-23           SECTION 2.  This Act applies beginning with the 1997-1998

2-24     school year.

2-25           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

2-26     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-27     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 3-1     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 3-2     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

 3-3     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

 3-4     passage, and it is so enacted.