HBA-SEB H.B. 220 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 220
By: Nixon, Joe
Public Education
4/19/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, only public schools and public school students are eligible to
participate in University Interscholastic League (UIL) activities.  As a
result, the extracurricular activities open to private schools and private
school students are limited.  Private school students often travel long
distances and incur great expense to take part in available student
activities.  H.B. 220 makes UIL activities available to private schools and
their students.  This measure also requires that private school students
who participate in UIL activities conform to UIL academic requirements.    

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that rulemaking
authority previously delegated to the University Interscholastic League is
modified in SECTION 1 (Section 33.086, Education Code) of this bill. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Subchapter D, Chapter 33, Education Code, by adding
Section 33.086, as follows: 

Sec. 33.086.  PARTICIPATION IN UNIVERSITY INTERSCHOLASTIC LEAGUE
ACTIVITIES.  (a)  Prohibits the University Interscholastic League (league)
from denying a child entitled to the benefits of the available school fund
under Section 25.001, Education Code (a person at least five years old and
under 21 years of age on the first day of September of any school year),
the opportunity to participate in a league-sponsored activity on the ground
that the child does not attend a public school.  Prohibits the league from
denying a school the opportunity to participate in an activity sponsored by
the league on the ground that the school is a private school.  Establishes
that the league's rules must make league activities available to all
children and schools in this state in the same manner. 

(b)  Specifies that a child is not exempt from satisfying each eligibility
requirement, as provided by league rule, for participation in a
league-sponsored activity, with the exception of class attendance
requirements. 

(c)  Provides that the instructor of a child who is assigned to a public
school to participate in league-sponsored extracurricular activities submit
to the principal an affidavit stating that the child satisfies the course
and grade requirements for a full-time student at the child's grade level. 

(d)  Establishes that the executive officer of a private school that has a
team participating in league-sponsored  extracurricular activities submit
to the league an affidavit affirming that each child meets the course and
grade requirements for a full-time public school student at the child's
grade level. 

(e)  Defines "private school" as having the meaning assigned to it by
Section 22.081, Education Code (a school that offers a course of
instruction for students in one or more grades from prekindergarten through
grade 12 and is not operated by a government entity). 
 
SECTION 2.  Provides that this Act applies beginning with the 1999-2000
school year. 

SECTION 3.  Emergency clause.
            Effective date:  upon passage.