REFERENCE TITLE: nonpublic school students; interscholastic activities

State of Arizona

Senate

Fifty-sixth Legislature

First Regular Session

2023

SB 1564

Introduced by

Senator Kaiser

An Act

amending section 15-802.01, Arizona Revised Statutes; relating to school attendance.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1. Section 15-802.01, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE15-802.01. Nonpublic school students; eligibility to participate in interscholastic activities; definition

A. Notwithstanding any other law, a child nonpublic school student who resides within the attendance area of a public school and who is homeschooled shall be allowed to try out for interscholastic activities on behalf of the public school in the same manner as a pupil student who is enrolled in that public school. Registration, age eligibility requirements, fees, insurance, transportation, physical condition, qualifications, responsibilities, event schedules, standards of behavior and performance policies for homeschooled nonpublic school students shall be consistent with those policies established for students enrolled in that public school. The individual person providing the primary instruction of a child who is homeschooled nonpublic school student shall submit written verification that provides:

1. Whether the student is receiving a passing grade in each course or subject being taught.

2. Whether the student is maintaining satisfactory progress towards advancement or promotion.

B. A child who is homeschooled and nonpublic school student who was previously enrolled in a public, private or charter different school shall be is ineligible to participate in interscholastic activities for the remainder of the school year during which the child student was enrolled in a different school.

C. A school district shall not contract with any private entity that supervises interscholastic activities if the private entity prohibits the participation of homeschooled children nonpublic school students in interscholastic activities at public, private or charter schools.

D. For the purposes of this section, "nonpublic school student" means a child who is any of the following:

1. homeschooled.

2. Educated pursuant to an Arizona empowerment scholarship account.

3. Educated in a private school as defined in section 15-802 if the private school has fewer than one hundred enrolled students.  END_STATUTE