Relating to noncontact periods for students, coaches, directors, and teachers in extracurricular interscholastic athletic contests and competitions

This bill relates to noncontact periods for students, coaches, directors, and teachers in extracurricular interscholastic athletic contests and competitions.13 to observe noncontact periods beginning with the 2026-2027 school year. An organization is an entity that registers with the department of education and administers, supervises, operates, adopts eligibility requirements for, and schedules extracurricular interscholastic athletic contests and competitions. During a noncontact period, a coach, director, or teacher shall not have contact with students regarding extracurricular and interscholastic athletics and extracurricular interscholastic athletic contests or competitions do not occur. Extracurricular interscholastic athletic contests or competitions include athletics, dance or cheerleading, band, show choir, and theater. All high school students, including incoming ninth grade students, shall be subject to a noncontact period and shall not have contact, on or off school premises, with coaches, directors, or teachers, or use school facilities for extracurricular and interscholastic athletics during a noncontact period. The bill requires the summer noncontact period to consist of a continuous 10-day period occurring during the summer. The fall noncontact period must consist of a continuous seven-day period occurring in November. The winter noncontact period must consist of a continuous period occurring between December 25 and January 1. The spring noncontact period must consist of a continuous seven-day period occurring during the spring break period. The bill requires organizations that operate nonschool-sponsored extracurricular interscholastic athletic contests or competitions in the state to observe the noncontact periods in the bill.