SENATE BILL 465

57th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2025

INTRODUCED BY

Antonio Maestas

 

 

 

 

 

AN ACT

RELATING TO SCHOOL ACTIVITIES; PROHIBITING SCHOOLS FROM RESTRICTING PARTICIPATION IN AN ATHLETIC ACTIVITY BECAUSE THE STUDENT PARTICIPATED IN THAT ATHLETIC ACTIVITY WHILE ATTENDING A DIFFERENT SCHOOL; PERMITTING STUDENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN CLUB OR OUTSIDE SPORTS WITHOUT PENALTY; PERMITTING STUDENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN ATHLETIC TRAINING CAMPS WITHOUT PENALTY; ALLOWING PRIVATE SCHOOLS TO OFFER SCHOLARSHIPS TO STUDENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN ATHLETIC ACTIVITIES; ALLOWING EIGHTH GRADE STUDENTS TO PLAY HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS WITHOUT LOSING A SEASON OF ELIGIBILITY.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

     SECTION 1. A new section of Chapter 22, Article 2 NMSA 1978 is enacted to read:

     "[NEW MATERIAL] SCHOOL ACTIVITIES--ELIGIBILITY.--

          A. Membership on the board of directors of an association that regulates public school extracurricular and cocurricular activities shall be proportional to the population of the counties represented by the board.

          B. A high school student shall not be prohibited from participating in an athletic activity because that student participated in that athletic activity while attending a different school.

          C. A student shall not be prohibited from participating fully in a school-sponsored athletic activity because the student participated in an athletic activity or on an athletic team that was not school-sponsored or -affiliated.

          D. A student who participates in an athletic training camp shall not be prohibited from participating in a school-sponsored athletic activity.

          E. A private school may offer a scholarship to a student to participate in an athletic activity.

          F. A student in the eighth grade is eligible to participate in a high school athletic activity without losing a season of eligibility to participate in that athletic activity in high school.

          G. As used in this section, "athletic activity" means a middle school, junior high school or high school sport regulated by the New Mexico activities association."

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