HB5406 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB103 37214 RJT 67333 b

103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
HB5406

Introduced 2/9/2024, by Rep. Janet Yang Rohr

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

105 ILCS 25/1.25 new

Amends the Interscholastic Athletic Organization Act. Provides that, for the benefit of the physical and mental health of athletes, beginning in the 2024-2025 school year, all practices, games, or contests by a State high school athletic program or team that is a part of an association or other entity that has, as one of its purposes, promoting, sponsoring, regulating, or in any manner providing for interscholastic athletics or any form of athletic competition among high schools and high school students within this State shall meet all specified requirements. Provides that an association or other entity that has as one of its purposes promoting, sponsoring, regulating, or in any manner providing for interscholastic athletics or any form of athletic competition among schools and students within this State shall enforce a penalty for a State high school athletic program or team exceeding practice maximums, which may include, but are not limited to, a loss of a practice day or other sanctions determined by the Illinois High School Association for each violation and shall be imposed as appropriate to the level, extent, and duration of the penalty. Effective immediately.

STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT MAY APPLY

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning education.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Interscholastic Athletic Organization Act is amended by adding Section 1.25 as follows:

(105 ILCS 25/1.25 new)

Sec. 1.25. Athletic practice time limits.

(a) In this Section, "practice" means:

(1) any school team or individual activity organized by the coach or a member of the athletics staff that is intended to maintain or improve an athlete's skill proficiency in a sport;

(2) any school team or individual activity that includes skill drills, game situation drills, inter-squad scrimmages or games, weight training, chalk talks, film review, and meetings outside of school time, excluding parent meetings that are explicitly or implicitly required by the coach or a member of the athletics staff;

(3) any other coach-directed or supervised school team or individual activity or instruction for a specific sport; or

(4) any other team or individual instruction for a specific sport organized or supervised by any team member, or anyone else associated with the high school athletic program, team, or school.

(b) For the benefit of the physical and mental health of athletes, beginning in the 2024-2025 school year, all practices, games, or contests by a State high school athletic program or team that is a part of an association or other entity that has, as one of its purposes, promoting, sponsoring, regulating, or in any manner providing for interscholastic athletics or any form of athletic competition among high schools and high school students within this State shall meet all of the following requirements:

(1) A team may be allowed no more than 18 hours of practice time per week and no more than 4 hours of practice time in any single day.

(2) For golf only, a team is allowed a maximum of 2 days per week of 18-hole round of golf. A 18-hole round of golf shall count as 4 hours of practice time.

(3) Any competition day shall count as 3 hours of practice no matter the length of the competition. Additional practice time may continue for one hour after the competition, which shall include post-competition cool-downs, stretching, and team discussion.

(4) An outside organizational activity may not be used to circumvent any of the requirements of this subsection (b).

(5) Team captains or other team leaders, such as upperclassmen, may not be used to circumvent any requirements of this subsection (b) and may not organize practice to circumvent any requirements of this subsection (b). Student-led practices may occur but shall count toward the practice limitation under this subsection (b).

(6) Other optional activities, including, but not limited to, team dinners and team building, shall not be considered practice time if the optional activities do not fall under the definition of practice under subsection (a). Optional activities must be approved by the principal or the principal's administrative designee.

(c) An association or other entity that has as one of its purposes promoting, sponsoring, regulating, or in any manner providing for interscholastic athletics or any form of athletic competition among schools and students within this State shall enforce a penalty for a State high school athletic program or team exceeding practice maximums under this Section, which may include, but are not limited to, a loss of a practice day or other sanctions determined by the Illinois High School Association for each violation of this Section and shall be imposed as appropriate to the level, extent, and duration of the penalty.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.