HB 293

 Enrolled Copy  H.B. 293
1Public Education Student Athlete Protections
                                        2026 GENERAL SESSION
                                              STATE OF UTAH
                                         Chief Sponsor: Katy Hall
                                 Senate Sponsor: Calvin R. Musselman
2
3  LONG TITLE
4  General Description:
5      This bill prohibits a public school from participating in an association that governs athletic
6  interscholastic activities in certain circumstances.
7  Highlighted Provisions:
8      This bill:
9      ▸ prohibits a public school from participating in an association that governs athletic
10  interscholastic activities (association) if the association does not:
11●   include certain policies in the association's policies; or
12●   sufficiently enforce the association's rules and policies;
13      ▸ requires an association to report to the Education Interim Committee; and
14      ▸ makes technical and conforming changes.
15  Money Appropriated in this Bill:
16      None
17  Other Special Clauses:
18      This bill provides a special effective date.
19  Utah Code Sections Affected:
20  AMENDS:
21      53G-7-1102, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2025, Chapter 408
22
23  Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
24Section 1. Section 53G-7-1102 is amended to read:
2553G-7-1102 . Public schools prohibited from membership.
26  (1) A public school may not be a member of or pay dues to an association that:
27      (a) is not in compliance with:
28(i) this part;
 H.B. 293  Enrolled Copy
29(ii) Title 52, Chapter 4, Open and Public Meetings Act;
30(iii) Title 63G, Chapter 2, Government Records Access and Management Act; and
31(iv) Title 67, Chapter 16, Utah Public Officers' and Employees' Ethics Act;
32(b) does not collect each student's unamended birth certificate, as that term is defined in
33Section 53G-6-1001, or subject to Subsection (3), equivalent documentation, as
34described in Subsection (2)(a), to determine eligibility as a condition of the
35association's registration process for an athletic team, event, or category;[ or]
36(c) does not require a student to provide the student's date of birth and sex as a condition
37of the registration process for an athletic team, event, or category[.] ;
38(d) does not include the following policies in the association's bylaws or policies:
39(i) providing moratorium periods for all sports statewide during the Independence
40Day, Thanksgiving, and winter break holidays;
41(ii) providing a summer moratorium on a sport-by-sport basis on the state, region,
42district, or school level;
43(iii) imposing a sport-specific off-season moratorium of at least six weeks, which
44may include reasonable accommodations to address the needs of rural schools and
45the regions of rural schools; and
46(iv) definitions that, in relation to enforcing a moratorium, may exclude time in
47weight training or conditioning that is not dedicated for a specific team or sport;
48(e) does not establish penalties for an infraction of association policies or rules by a
49member school; and
50(f) does not equally enforce the penalties described in Subsection (1)(e) on every
51member school.
52   (2)(a) For a student who is not a United States citizen and who is unable to provide an
53unamended birth certificate, as that term is defined in Section 53G-6-1001, the
54association may collect the student's:
55(i) state-issued identification document, including a driver's license or passport; or
56(ii) federally recognized identification document, including a document that the
57Department of Homeland Security issues.
58(b) If a student who is not a United States citizen is unable to provide a document under
59Subsection (2)(a), the association may collect other reliable proof of a student's date
60of birth and sex, including:
61(i) an affidavit from the student's parent or legal guardian attesting:
62(A) to the student's date of birth and sex; and
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 Enrolled Copy  H.B. 293
63(B) that the parent or legal guardian is unable to obtain a document described in
64Subsection (2)(a); and
65(ii) one of the following:
66(A) a religious, hospital, or physician certificate;
67(B) verified school records;
68(C) verified immunization records; or
69(D) documentation from a social service provider.
70  (3)(a) Subsection (1)(b) does not apply to an association for a student who is a homeless
71      child or youth, as defined in the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, 42
72      U.S.C. Sec. 11431 et seq.
73      (b) For a student who is a homeless child or youth, including an unaccompanied
74homeless child or youth, an association may collect:
75(i) an affidavit from the student's parent or guardian, or the student if the student is an
76unaccompanied homeless child or youth, indicating that the student does not meet
77the necessary requirements to obtain a document described in Subsection (2)(a);
78and
79(ii) a document described in Subsection (2)(b)(ii).
80  (4) Nothing in this section limits or impairs an LEA's requirement to verify a student's
81      initial review of eligibility to participate in an athletic team, event, or category under
82      applicable state or federal law or state board rule, including the student's:
83      (a) residency status;
84      (b) age;
85      (c) sex, verified by the student's unamended birth certificate, as that term is defined in
86Section 53G-6-1001;
87      (d) academic requirements; or
88      (e) school enrollment capacity.
89  (5) Unless otherwise specified, an association's compliance with or an association employee
90      or officer's compliance with the provisions described in Subsection (1) does not alter:
91      (a) the association's public or private status; or
92      (b) the public or private employment status of the employee or officer.
93  (6) An association shall annually submit a written report to the Education Interim
94      Committee after July of each year, in relation to the preceding school year, regarding:
95      (a) the implementation of the policies described in Subsection (2)(d); and
96      (b) the compliance and monitoring described in Subsections (2)(e) and (2)(f).
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 H.B. 293  Enrolled Copy
97Section 2. Effective Date.
98   This bill takes effect on August 1, 2026.
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