HF 2609

as introduced - 90th Legislature (2017 - 2018) Posted on 03/21/2018 02:03pm

A bill for an act
relating to education; requiring the Minnesota State High School League to exempt
foreign exchange students from the transfer ban on varsity competition; providing
for rulemaking; amending Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 128C.02, subdivision
5.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 128C.02, subdivision 5, is amended to read:

Subd. 5.

Rules for open enrollees.

(a) The league shall adopt league rules and regulations
governing the athletic participation of pupils attending school in a nonresident district under
section 124D.03.

(b) Notwithstanding other law or league rule or regulation to the contrary, when a student
enrolls in or is readmitted to a recovery-focused high school after successfully completing
a licensed program for treatment of alcohol or substance abuse, mental illness, or emotional
disturbance, the student is immediately eligible to participate on the same basis as other
district students in the league-sponsored activities of the student's resident school district.
Nothing in this paragraph prohibits the league or school district from enforcing a league or
district penalty resulting from the student violating a league or district rule.

(c) The league shall adopt league rules making a student with an individualized education
program who transfers from one public school to another public school as a reasonable
accommodation to reduce barriers to educational access immediately eligible to participate
in league-sponsored varsity competition on the same basis as other students in the school
to which the student transfers. The league also must establish guidelines, consistent with
this paragraph, for reviewing the 504 plan of a student who transfers between public schools
to determine whether the student is immediately eligible to participate in league-sponsored
varsity competition on the same basis as other students in the school to which the student
transfers.

new text begin (d) The league shall adopt league rules allowing the exemption of a foreign exchange
student from the one-year ban on transfer students' participation in varsity competition if:
(1) the foreign exchange student transfers schools pursuant to the enrollment options program
under section 124D.03; and (2) the foreign exchange student's host family has a known
history of sending their children or foreign exchange students to the school district of their
choice.
new text end