SESSION WATCH
Superseded — its companion passed HOUSE · SESSION 2026

No. CS/HB 731

Extracurricular Activities
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SPONSOR
Education & Employment Committee; Abbott; Anderson
FILED BY
Shane Abbott — District 5, Republican [search donations]
Adam Anderson — District 57, Republican [search donations]
EFFECTIVE
7/1/2026
COMPANION
CS/CS/CS/SB 538 — CS/HB 731 was set aside and its companion carried the policy

Filed under Education.

PROVIDED SUMMARY

Extracurricular Activities; Revises provisions relating to extracurricular activities & student athletics; revises provisions relating to classification of K-12 administrative personnel.

Full bill text →

Plain English Summary

AI-GENERATED
Expands student sports eligibility and reclassifies coaches as administrators.

The bill redefines who counts as an eligible student, explicitly including home education, charter, private, and virtual school students. This change allows these students to participate in interscholastic and intrascholastic activities at public schools.

It prohibits governing organizations from discriminating against students based on their choice of public, private, or home education. This ensures equal access to extracurricular activities regardless of the student's specific educational setting.

The legislation reclassifies athletic directors and coaches as K-12 administrative personnel. This change allows district superintendents to negotiate their compensation above standard salary scales, altering their employment status and pay structure.

It mandates that the FHSAA adopt, maintain, and enforce sport-specific manuals or handbooks. This creates a new requirement for the state athletic association to write and enforce detailed rulebooks for every sport it governs.

KEY PROVISIONS
§ 1 Booster Club Payment Authority majors. 1001.43(2)(i)

AIPermits booster clubs to pay coaches and activity sponsors, with restrictions on fund usage.

“Any policy authorizing payment by booster clubs or associations may not control the provision of funds except that such funds may not be used for severance pay or for compensation” bill text, line 91 →
§ 2 Eligible Student Definition majors. 1006.15(3)(a)

AIExpands participation eligibility to include home education, charter, private, virtual, and alternative school students.

“"Eligible student" means a home education student, charter school student, private school student, Florida Virtual School student, alternative school student, or traditional public” bill text, line 116 →
§ 3 Home Education Student Eligibility majors. 1006.15(3)(c)

AIGrants home education students the right to participate in interscholastic or intrascholastic activities at their enrolled school or a district school, provided they meet specific academic and behavioral standards.

“A home education student must meet the requirements of the home education program pursuant to s. 1002.41.” bill text, line 175 →
§ 4 Cross-School Participation Rules majors. 1006.15(3)(e)

AIAllows students to participate at a school other than their enrolled school if the enrolled school does not offer the activity, or if the student is in a home education program, provided the school is in the student's district.

“The school at which the student will participate in the interscholastic or intrascholastic extracurricular activity is located in the school district in which the student resides.” bill text, line 209 →
§ 5 Governing Organization Discrimination Prohibition majors. 1006.15(5)(b)

AIProhibits governing organizations from discriminating against eligible students based on their choice of public, private, or home education, and requires them to adopt sport-specific manuals.

“May not discriminate against any eligible student based on an educational choice of public, private, or home education.”
§ 6 FHSAA must publish sport-specific rulebooks majors. 1006.20(2)(o)

AICreates a mandatory duty for the state athletic association to write and enforce detailed rulebooks for every sport it governs.

“The FHSAA shall adopt, maintain, and enforce sport-specific manuals or handbooks that govern interscholastic competition.”
§ 7 Coaches and athletic directors become classified administrators majors. 1012.01(3)(d)

AIReclassifies athletic directors and coaches as K-12 administrative personnel, allowing superintendents to negotiate their pay above standard scales.

“Included in this classification is any athletic director or coach or any activity director or sponsor specified by the district school superintendent” bill text, line 704 →
§ 8 Participation Definition Expansion moderates. 1006.15(3)(b)

AIClarifies that eligibility includes tryouts, conditioning, workouts, and practices, not just contests.

“Includes, but is not limited to, a student participating in any of the following: a. Tryouts. b. Off-season conditioning. c. Summer workouts. d. Preseason conditioning. e. In-” bill text, line 122 →
TIMELINE
3/9/2026
Laid on Table; Companion bill(s) passed, see CS/CS/CS/SB 538 (Ch. 2026-93 )
2/18/2026
Added to Second Reading Calendar
2/18/2026
Bill referred to House Calendar
2/17/2026
1st Reading (Committee Substitute 1)
2/17/2026
CS Filed
2/17/2026
Laid on Table under Rule 7.18(a)
2/17/2026
Reported out of Education & Employment Committee
2/17/2026
Favorable with CS by Education & Employment Committee
2/13/2026
PCS added to Education & Employment Committee agenda
1/20/2026
Now in Education & Employment Committee
1/20/2026
Reported out of PreK-12 Budget Subcommittee
1/20/2026
Favorable by PreK-12 Budget Subcommittee
1/15/2026
Added to PreK-12 Budget Subcommittee agenda
1/13/2026
1st Reading (Original Filed Version)
1/13/2026
Now in PreK-12 Budget Subcommittee
1/13/2026
Reported out of Student Academic Success Subcommittee
1/13/2026
Favorable by Student Academic Success Subcommittee
1/9/2026
Added to Student Academic Success Subcommittee agenda
12/16/2025
Now in Student Academic Success Subcommittee
12/16/2025
Referred to Education & Employment Committee
12/16/2025
Referred to PreK-12 Budget Subcommittee
12/16/2025
Referred to Student Academic Success Subcommittee
12/10/2025
Filed
17 EARLIER →
STATUTES IT CHANGES
s. 1001.43
+78 / −0
s. 1006.15
+1109 / −2262
s. 1002.31
+6 / −102
s. 1002.33
+2 / −27
s. 1006.195
+5 / −7
s. 1006.20
+112 / −0
STAFF ANALYSES