Senate bill barring students convicted as adults from playing high school sports passes first panel

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Legislation by Sen. Nick DiCeglie, R-St. Petersburg, prohibiting students convicted as adults from playing in high school sports passed the Senate Committee on PreK-12 Education on Tuesday.

SB 530 states that the Florida High School Athletic Association must implement requirements that students who have been sentenced as adults to certain offenses are not allowed to participate in high school sports.

The specific offenses include homicide, sexual battery or lewd or lascivious offenses.

The House companion legislation, HB 545, is by Rep. Berny Jacques, R-Seminole.

Sen. Travis Hutson, R-Palm Coast, spoke on behalf of DiCeglie during the meeting.

Sen. Shevrin Jones, D-Miami Gardens, questioned certain aspects of the bill, ultimately deciding to vote down on the legislation.

“[…] I’m also not comfortable with us moving in this direction with such broad language, which could cause unintended consequences for our young people and prevent them from being able to play sports,” Jones said.

He mentioned concerns with the “lewd or lascivious” offenses aspect of the bill.

Hutson responded to some of Jones’ concerns during his closing statement.

“As I was researching this bill to get it done, I also had the same questions about the broad language on lewd lascivious acts and I certainly don’t condone those, but I understand that sometimes teenagers are teenagers,” Hutson said.

“I’m also going to have a conversation with Sen. DiCeglie to make sure that we’re not going after people that do something that’s so bored that they may get caught into something where we damage their high school or professional careers,” he said.

If singed into law, the legislation would take effect on on July 1.