HB 41 — An Act amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, in interscholastic athletics accountability, providing for playoffs and championships.

PRINTER'S NO.    20

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                         HOUSE BILL
                         No. 41
                                               Session of
                                                 2025

     INTRODUCED BY CONKLIN, SANCHEZ, HILL-EVANS, WARNER AND HARKINS,
        JANUARY 10, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS AND
        OPERATIONS, JANUARY 10, 2025


                                    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," in interscholastic athletics
 6      accountability, providing for playoffs and championships.
 7      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 8   hereby enacts as follows:
 9      Section 1.    The act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known
10   as the Public School Code of 1949, is amended by adding a
11   section to read:
12      Section 1606-A.    Playoffs and Championships.--(a)   The
13   association may establish separate playoffs and championships
14   for athletics for boundary schools and nonboundary schools.
15      (b)   (1)   Prior to establishing separate playoffs and
16   championships for athletics under subsection (a), the board and
17   the oversight committee shall conduct at least one joint meeting
18   in each of the districts that comprise the association.
19      (2)   The meetings shall be open to the public in accordance
 1   with 65 Pa.C.S. § 704 (relating to open meetings).
 2      (3)    Notice of each meeting shall be given in compliance with
 3   65 Pa.C.S. § 709 (relating to public notice).
 4      (4)    Minutes of the proceedings of each meeting shall be kept
 5   in accordance with 65 Pa.C.S. § 706 (relating to minutes of
 6   meetings, public records and recording of meetings).
 7      (5)    The board and oversight committee shall accept sworn
 8   testimony and comments from individuals relating to whether
 9   playoffs should or should not be separated for all or certain
10   athletics for boundary and nonboundary schools. The board and
11   the oversight committee may accept written testimony during each
12   meeting and comments through electronic submission, which must
13   be submitted no later than ten (10) days after the last
14   scheduled public meeting.
15      (c)    (1)   No later than ten (10) days after the meetings in
16   subsection (b) are complete, the board shall hold an open
17   meeting pursuant to 65 Pa.C.S. § 704 to deliberate the
18   establishment of separate playoffs and championships for
19   athletics for boundary and nonboundary schools.
20      (2)    At the open meetings, the board shall discuss all of the
21   following:
22      (i)    Whether the association will require that all sports,
23   certain sports or no sports conduct separate playoffs and
24   championships for boundary and nonboundary schools.
25      (ii)    If a determination is made that separate playoffs and
26   championships will be required, the board shall discuss the
27   fiscal impact the requirement may or may not have on boundary
28   and nonboundary schools.
29      (iii)     All relevant testimony and comments provided during
30   the district hearings that provide rationale in support or

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 1   opposition to separate playoffs and championships for boundary
 2   and nonboundary schools.
 3      (3)    The board shall reserve time for public comments from
 4   individuals in attendance at the meeting before rendering a
 5   final decision.
 6      (4)    After the public comment period in paragraph (3) has
 7   closed, the board shall recess to executive session to
 8   deliberate the following options:
 9      (i)    returning to the public meeting to hold a vote to alter
10   playoffs and championships for all sports;
11      (ii)    returning to the public meeting to hold a vote to alter
12   playoffs and championships for certain sports; or
13      (iii)    returning to the public meeting to make a statement
14   and justify why no changes are being made to playoffs and
15   championships for any sports.
16      (5)    Once the board selects an option under paragraph (4),
17   the public meeting shall resume and the chosen option shall be
18   implemented.
19      (d)    No later than five (5) days after the meeting in
20   subsection (c), the association shall provide its decision in
21   writing to the oversight committee along with the reasoning
22   behind the decision.
23      (e)    As used in this section, the following words and phrases
24   shall have the meanings given to them in this subsection unless
25   the context clearly indicates otherwise:
26      "Board."    The Executive Board of the Pennsylvania
27   Interscholastic Athletic Association.
28      "Boundary school."    A public school. The term does not
29   include a charter school.
30      "Nonboundary school."    A charter school, a parochial school

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1   or a private school.
2      "Oversight committee."   The Pennsylvania Athletic Oversight
3   Committee established in section 1605-A.
4      Section 2.   This act shall take effect in 30 days.




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