History:
History Irwin County High School senior, Justin 'Bean' Anderson was chosen to play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in January, but did not know just how much the honor would affect his life. As a result of playing in the Bowl, he lost his eligibility to play sports at his high school. Before HB 1241 athletes are unable to play any longer if they choose to participate in an All-Star game that has not been approved by the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association, according to Georgia High School Association (GHSA) rules.
Summary:
Summary This bill allows students to continue to be eligible to participate in interscholastic sports if they play in a nationally sponsored event, after the regular season and playoffs are over.
Georgia High School Athletic Association:
Georgia High School Athletic Association The bylaws of the Georgia High School Athletic Association (GHSA) had prohibited the joint participation. During the legislative session GHSA amended their bylaws to permit this, but the legislation was passed to ensure any association could not prevent it in the future.
Conditions of HB 1241:
Conditions of HB 1241 Provides that no high school receiving state QBE funding shall participate in, sponsor, or provide coaching staff for interscholastic sports events conducted under the authority of, conducted under the rules of, or scheduled by any athletic association if the governing documents of the association disqualify a student from participating as a team member on an interscholastic sports team solely because the student participated during the school year but outside the regular season, including playoffs, in a national competitive event, such as an all-star or showcase event, that is not sanctioned by that athletic association (GSBA,2006).
Signing of HB 1241:
Signing of HB 1241 'This bill is a great example of legislators looking out for the small details and making a difference in the lives of young men and women. Something was found that just did not add up and didn’t make any common sense, and we have corrected that today.' - Gov. Sonny Perdue