PRINTER'S NO. 2576
No. 2015 Session of 1999
INTRODUCED BY LaGROTTA, COLAFELLA, BELARDI, M. COHEN, GANNON,
SURRA, STABACK, CORRIGAN, GRUCELA, MELIO, YOUNGBLOOD, HARHAI,
DALEY, COSTA, SOLOBAY, WALKO, LAUGHLIN, VAN HORNE, J. TAYLOR,
YUDICHAK, MICHLOVIC, STETLER, PRESTON, MARKOSEK AND ROBINSON,
OCTOBER 27, 1999
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, OCTOBER 27, 1999
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An
2 act relating to the public school system, including certain
3 provisions applicable as well to private and parochial
4 schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the
5 laws relating thereto," further providing for school
6 athletics, publications and organizations; establishing the
7 Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Advisory Board;
8 providing for powers and duties of the Department of
9 Education; and making an appropriation.
10 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
11 hereby enacts as follows:
12 Section 1. Section 511(b) and (b.1) of the act of March 10,
13 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949,
14 amended April 14, 1949 (P.L.460, No.85) and June 26, 1974
15 (P.L.370, No.125), are amended to read:
16 Section 511. School Athletics, Publications, and
17 Organizations.--
18 * * *
19 (b) Any school or any class activity or organization
20 thereof, with the approval of the board, may affiliate with any
1 local, district, regional, State, or national organization whose
2 purposes and activities are appropriate to and related to the
3 school program. Except as otherwise provided in this section, a
4 school is prohibited from affiliating with any independent
5 organization governing interscholastic athletics in this
6 Commonwealth.
7 (b.1) Private schools shall be permitted, if otherwise
8 qualified, to be members of the [Pennsylvania Interscholastic
9 Athletic Association] Department of Education's interscholastic
10 athletic program under Article XIV-A except that private schools
11 located in cities of the second class which are members of the
12 Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association shall, if they
13 so elect, be assigned to a district or section outside of the
14 geographical boundary of the second class city but contiguous
15 thereto, and shall participate in [Pennsylvania Interscholastic
16 Athletic Association] Department of Education sponsored athletic
17 contests in that section. The [association] Department of
18 Education shall not prohibit a private school from being a
19 member solely on the grounds that the coach or a member of the
20 coaching staff of any athletic team is not a teacher, or
21 professional employe, either full-time or part-time, at such
22 private school, except that this provision shall not apply to
23 coaches or members of the coaching staff initially employed
24 after January 1, 1965.
25 * * *
26 Section 2. The act is amended by adding an article to read:
27 ARTICLE XIV-A.
28 INTERSCHOLASTIC ATHLETICS.
29 Section 1401-A. Definitions.--As used in this article,
30 (1) "Advisory board" or "board" means the Pennsylvania
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1 Interscholastic Athletic Advisory Board established in section
2 1404-A.
3 (2) "Department" means the Department of Education of the
4 Commonwealth.
5 Section 1402-A. Legislative Purpose.--The purpose of this
6 article is to provide for the Commonwealth's authority to govern
7 and administer the State's interscholastic athletic program.
8 Section 1403-A. Powers and Duties of Department.--The
9 department has the following powers and duties:
10 (1) To develop a program to effectively administer and
11 control all interscholastic athletic relations and athletic
12 contests in which a Commonwealth school district participates.
13 (2) To manage the scheduling of all interscholastic athletic
14 events and contests.
15 (3) To administer the finances of the interscholastic
16 athletic program.
17 (4) To develop the qualifications and method for the
18 registration of officials and to determine their powers and
19 duties.
20 (5) To establish penalties and enforcement for violations.
21 (6) To administer all championship contests and
22 interscholastic meets.
23 (7) To work in concert with the advisory board to implement
24 rulings and decisions.
25 (8) To promulgate regulations concerning this article and
26 interscholastic athletic programs developed under this article.
27 (9) To review, with the advice of the board, interscholastic
28 athletic program criteria and to periodically evaluate and make
29 appropriate changes in those criteria by regulation.
30 Section 1404-A. Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic
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1 Advisory Board.--There is established within the department an
2 advisory board to oversee the administration and regulation of
3 interscholastic athletics in this Commonwealth. The board shall
4 be known as the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Advisory
5 Board.
6 Section 1405-A. Purpose of Board.--The purpose of the board
7 shall be to review and oversee the administration of the
8 department's interscholastic athletic program and to ensure fair
9 and equal treatment of schools and the students that participate
10 in interscholastic sports programs.
11 Section 1406-A. Powers and Duties of Board.--The board has
12 the following powers and duties:
13 (1) To work in consultation with the department to
14 continually evaluate all rules, guidelines and decisions
15 governing or regulating interscholastic athletics in this
16 Commonwealth.
17 (2) To review the expenditures of all funds.
18 (3) To hear appeals and grievances of member school
19 districts or individuals.
20 Section 1407-A. Composition.--The advisory board shall
21 consist of fifteen (15) members as follows:
22 (1) Two (2) members of the public who are residents of this
23 Commonwealth, appointed by the Governor.
24 (2) Two (2) members appointed by the President pro tempore
25 of the Senate.
26 (3) Two (2) members appointed by the Minority Leader of the
27 Senate.
28 (4) Two (2) members appointed by the Speaker of the House of
29 Representatives.
30 (5) Two (2) members appointed by the Minority Leader of the
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1 House of Representatives.
2 (6) The Secretary of Education.
3 (7) Three (3) members appointed by the Secretary of
4 Education who shall have served in one or more of the following
5 capacities in a school district within this Commonwealth:
6 (i) Principal.
7 (ii) Assistant principal.
8 (iii) Superintendent.
9 (iv) Assistant superintendent.
10 (v) Athletic director.
11 (8) The department's director of interscholastic athletic
12 programs, who shall serve ex officio.
13 Section 1408-A. Terms.--The terms of advisory board members
14 shall be four years.
15 Section 1409-A. Chairperson.--The members of the advisory
16 board shall elect a chairperson of the board every two (2) years
17 in a secret ballot election. The election of the chairperson
18 shall be held after all seats on the advisory board are filled
19 and before the advisory board takes any action under section
20 1406-A. The first chairperson shall be elected to serve until
21 the commencement of the session of the General Assembly next
22 following the effective date of this article. Thereafter, the
23 chairperson shall serve for two (2) years.
24 Section 1410-A. Compensation.--Members of the advisory board
25 shall serve without remuneration except for reimbursement for
26 travel expenses and actual expenses incurred in performing their
27 official duties.
28 Section 3. The sum of $2,000,000, or as much thereof as may
29 be necessary, is hereby appropriated to the Department of
30 Education to carry out the provisions of Article XIV-A of the
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1 act.
2 Section 4. This act does not impair or affect a contract
3 entered into by a school district prior to the effective date of
4 this act.
5 Section 5. This act shall apply to school years beginning
6 more than one year following the effective date of this act.
7 Section 6. This act shall take effect immediately.
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