SB1475

THE CONTEXT: A governing board must: 1) hold students to strict account for disorderly conduct on school property; 2) discipline students for disorderly conduct on the way to and from school; and 3) prescribe and enforce policies and procedures relating to the health and safety of pupils participating in school district-sponsored practice sessions or games or other interscholastic athletic activities ( A. R.

WHAT THE BILL DID: The final vetoed version would instruct a governing board to prohibit a student from participating in a school district-sponsored interscholastic activity or program if the student has been convicted of, admitted in open court to, pleaded no contest to or admitted pursuant to a plea agreement to committing any of the following criminal offenses in Arizona or a similar offense in another jurisdiction or a delinquent act that if committed by an adult would constitute any of the following criminal offenses: a; aggravated assault involving a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument or that results in serious physical injury; b; any sexual offense; c; harassment involving sexually explicit communications or conduct; d; stalking; e; commercial sexual exploitation of a minor; f; sexual exploitation of a minor; g; luring a minor for sexual exploitation; h; domestic violence; or i; incest, require a governing board to prohibit a student, on notice that the student is charged with or awaiting trial on any of the specified criminal offenses or a delinquent act that if committed by an adult would constitute any of the specified criminal offenses, from participating in a school district-sponsored interscholastic activity or program until the charges are dismissed or the student is found to be not guilty, and stipulate a governing board must require any student who participates or seeks to participate in a school district-sponsored interscholastic activity or program to certify on a form provided by the school district whether the student has been convicted of, admitted in open court to, pleaded no contest to or admitted pursuant to a plea agreement to committing any of the specified criminal offenses in Arizona or a similar offense in another jurisdiction or a delinquent act that if committed by an adult would constitute any of the specified criminal offenses.

WHY IT MATTERED: The practical reason for this bill was to set a clear legal boundary for interscholastic activities instead of leaving the conduct unaddressed. It would instruct a governing board to prohibit a student from participating in a school district-sponsored interscholastic activity or program if the student has been convicted of, admitted in open court to, pleaded no contest to or admitted pursuant to a plea agreement to committing any of the following criminal offenses in Arizona or a similar offense in another jurisdiction or a delinquent act that if committed by an adult would constitute any of the following criminal offenses: a. aggravated assault involving a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument or that results in serious physical injury; b. any sexual offense; c. harassment involving sexually explicit communications or conduct; d. stalking; e. commercial sexual exploitation of a minor; f. sexual exploitation of a minor; g. luring a minor for sexual exploitation; h. domestic violence; or i. incest, and would also require a governing board to prohibit a student, on notice that the student is charged with or awaiting trial on any of the specified criminal offenses or a delinquent act that if committed by an adult would constitute any of the specified criminal offenses, from participating in a school district-sponsored interscholastic activity or program until the charges are dismissed or the student is found to be not guilty, rather than leave the current rule unchanged.