HBA-MPM H.B. 2988 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 2988
By: Culberson
Public Education
4/21/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

The University Interscholastic League (UIL) believes that most students
enjoy the pursuit of excellence and seek opportunities to test themselves
against their own accomplishments and those of their peers. Such
opportunities are best provided through properly conducted and equitably
administered competitive activities. 

According to UIL standards, students are eligible to represent their school
in interscholastic activities if they:  

_have not graduated from high school, 
_are full-time, day students in the school, and have been in regular
attendance at the school since the 6th class day of the present school
year, or have been in regular attendance for 15 or more calendar days
before the contest or competition,  
_are in compliance with state law and rules of the State Board of
Education,  
_are enrolled in a four-year, normal program of high school courses, and
initially enrolled in the 9th grade not more than four years ago nor in the
10th grade not more than 3 years ago,  
_were not recruited, 
_are not in violation of the awards rule, and 
_meet the specific eligibility requirements for academic, music and/or
athletic competition.  

Furthermore, each area of participation has additional criteria a student
must meet in order to be eligible to participate in that area. 

H.B. 2988 requires the University Interscholastic League (UIL) to adopt
rules under which a team may be disqualified from UIL activities if the
district employee responsible for verifying eligibility of a participant
intentionally, negligently, or otherwise fails to properly verify the
participant's eligibility.  This bill also requires the employee
responsible for making the verification to verify a student's grades
independently of involvement by the student and on the basis of the
official grade report. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that rulemaking
authority is expressly delegated to the University Interscholastic League
in SECTION 1 (Section 33.081, Education Code) of this bill. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 33.081, Education Code, by adding Subsections
(h) and (i), as follows: 

(h)  Requires the University Interscholastic League (UIL) to adopt rules
under which a team may be disqualified on the basis of participation in an
extracurricular activity by a team member who is ineligible to participate
in such an activity under this section if the district employee responsible
for making a verification fails to properly verify the member's eligibility
or the employee otherwise intentionally or negligently permits an
ineligible member to participate in the activity. 
 
(i)  Requires the employee responsible for making the verification to
verify a student's grades independently of involvement by the student and
on the basis of the official grade report. 

SECTION 2.  Requires UIL to adopt rules as added by this Act as soon as
practicable after the effective date of the Act. 

SECTION 3.Emergency clause.
  Effective date: upon passage.