Florida SB 178: Florida Tourism Marketing

Bill Text

178 
Athletics in Public K-12 Schools 
2026-03-11T14:47:51Z 
Requiring the Florida High School Athletic Association to adopt bylaws authorizing a head coach to support the welfare of a student by using personal funds to provide certain effects to the student; requiring the head coach to report such use of personal funds to the association; providing that such use of personal funds is presumed not to be an impermissible benefit, etc. 
ENROLLED 
2026 
S 
2026-07-01T00:00:00Z 
GB 
General Bill 
er 

 ENROLLED 
 2026 Legislature CS for CS for SB 178, 1st Engrossed 

 2026178er 
 1 
 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; providing requirements for 
 8 such bylaws; requiring the head coach to report such 
 9 use of personal funds to the association; providing 
 10 that such use of personal funds is presumed not to be 
 11 an impermissible benefit; providing exceptions; 
 12 providing a limitation on the annual amount of 
 13 personal funds a head coach may use per athletic team; 
 14 authorizing other athletic associations to adopt 
 15 similar bylaws; amending ss. 768.135, 1002.20, 
 16 1006.165, and 1012.468, F.S.; conforming cross 
 17 references; providing an effective date. 
 18 
 19 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 
 20 
 21 Section 1. Present paragraphs (c) through (n) of subsection 
 22 (2) of section 1006.20, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as 
 23 paragraphs (d) through (o), respectively, and a new paragraph 
 24 (c) is added to that subsection, to read: 
 25 1006.20 Athletics in public K-12 schools.— 
 26 (2) ADOPTION OF BYLAWS, POLICIES, OR GUIDELINES.— 
 27 (c) The FHSAA shall adopt bylaws that authorize the head 
 28 coach of an athletic team to support the welfare of a student he 
 29 or she coaches only by using personal funds to provide, in good 
 30 faith, effects such as food, transportation, and recovery 
 31 services. The bylaws must require a parent to provide written 
 32 consent before a head coach may provide such effects to a 
 33 student. The bylaws must also restrict such use of funds to one 
 34 head coach per athletic team. 
 35 1. A head coach who uses personal funds to provide such 
 36 effects must report such use to the FHSAA in a manner provided 
 37 by FHSAA bylaw. 
 38 2. Such use of personal funds is presumed not to be an 
 39 impermissible benefit, unless such use of personal funds is: 
 40 a. Not reported; 
 41 b. Reported and deemed not to be in good faith by the 
 42 FHSAA; or 
 43 c. Used for recruiting purposes. 
 44 3. The maximum amount of personal funds a head coach may 
 45 use per athletic team per year is $15,000. 
 46 
 47 Any other organization governing interscholastic athletic 
 48 competition in this state may adopt bylaws similar to those 
 49 required by this paragraph. 
 50 Section 2. Subsection (3) of section 768.135, Florida 
 51 Statutes, is amended to read: 
 52 768.135 Volunteer team physicians; immunity.— 
 53 (3) A practitioner licensed under chapter 458, chapter 459, 
 54 chapter 460, or s. 464.012 or registered under s. 464.0123 who 
 55 gratuitously and in good faith conducts an evaluation pursuant 
 56 to s. 1006.20(2)(d) s. 1006.20(2)(c) is not liable for any civil 
 57 damages arising from that evaluation unless the evaluation was 
 58 conducted in a wrongful manner. 
 59 Section 3. Paragraph (b) of subsection (17) of section 
 60 1002.20, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 
 61 1002.20 K-12 student and parent rights.—Parents of public 
 62 school students must receive accurate and timely information 
 63 regarding their child’s academic progress and must be informed 
 64 of ways they can help their child to succeed in school. K-12 
 65 students and their parents are afforded numerous statutory 
 66 rights including, but not limited to, the following: 
 67 (17) ATHLETICS; PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL.— 
 68 (b) Medical evaluation and electrocardiogram.—Before 
 69 participating in athletics, students must: 
 70 1. Satisfactorily pass a medical evaluation each year, 
 71 unless the parent objects in writing based on religious tenets 
 72 or practices, in accordance with s. 1006.20(2)(e) s. 
 73 1006.20(2)(d); and 
 74 2. As applicable under s. 1006.20, receive an 
 75 electrocardiogram, unless the parent objects in writing based on 
 76 religious tenets or practices or secures a certificate of 
 77 medical exception in accordance with s. 1006.20(2)(e) s. 
 78 1006.20(2)(d) or the school district is unable to obtain a 
 79 public or private partnership for the provision of an 
 80 electrocardiogram pursuant to s. 1006.165. 
 81 Section 4. Subsection (3) of section 1006.165, Florida 
 82 Statutes, is amended to read: 
 83 1006.165 Well-being of students participating