HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 1579

                      As Passed House:

                      February 8, 2000

Title:  An act relating to interscholastic activities.

Brief Description:  Clarifying the review process for appeals from decisions of the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association.

Sponsors:  Representatives Quall and Cooper.

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

Education:  2/8/99, 2/16/99 [DP].

Floor Activity:

Passed House:  3/4/99, 95-0.

Passed House:  2/8/00, 97-0.

                 Brief Summary of Bill

$Appeals of a decision of the organization that regulates interscholastic athletics will be confined to the record, conducted without a jury, and limited to whether the organization acted arbitrarily, capriciously, or contrary to law.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Majority Report:  Do pass.  Signed by 14 members:  Representatives Quall, Democratic Co-Chair; Talcott, Republican Co-Chair; Haigh, Democratic Vice Chair; Schindler, Republican Vice Chair; Carlson; Cox; Keiser; Rockefeller; Santos; D. Schmidt; Schual-Berke; Stensen; Sump and Wensman.

Staff:  Susan Morrissey (786-7111).

Background:

A school district board of directors must control, supervise, and regulate the conduct of interschool athletic activities and other extracurricular activities in its district.  The board can delegate this responsibility to voluntary nonprofit entities and compensate those entities for services rendered.

Rules and policies made by the nonprofit entity are subject to the approval of the State Board of Education.  Before determining that a student may not participate or continue to participate in a school activity, the nonprofit entity must provide notice to the student of the reasons for the rejection as well as the opportunity to challenge such reasons.  The final decision of the nonprofit entity in these cases will be considered the decision of the school district and therefore subject to the appeal procedures in the common school provisions.  Currently, the common school provisions provide that appeals will be heard de novo.

Summary of Bill:

Appeals of the nonprofit entity's decision will be confined to the record.  An appeal will also be conducted without a jury and limited to whether the nonprofit entity acted arbitrarily, capriciously, or contrary to law.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  The Washington Interscholastic Athletic Association must decide a number of issues surrounding interscholastic athletics.  Many decisions involve student eligibility to play a particular sport at a particular school.  This bill will clarify the scope of any appeals to decisions of the association.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Representative Quall, prime sponsor; and John Olson, Washington Interscholastic Athletic Association.