BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 949
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Date of Hearing: May 27, 2015
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Jimmy Gomez, Chair
AB
949 (Gonzalez) - As Amended May 6, 2015
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|Policy |Arts, Entertainment, Sports, |Vote:|6 - 0 |
|Committee: |Tourism, and Internet Media | | |
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| |Education | |7 - 0 |
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Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: NoReimbursable: No
SUMMARY:
This bill:
1)Requires the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF), by
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July 1, 2017, and in consultation with the California
Department of Education (CDE), to develop guidelines,
procedures, and safety standards for the purpose of
classifying competition cheer as an interscholastic sport.
2)Requires the CIF to seek a Title IX compliance designation for
competition cheer from the U.S. Department of Education
(USDE), and stipulates that competition cheer shall not count
towards a school's Title IX compliance, unless the USDE deems
it compliant with its definition of a sport.
FISCAL EFFECT:
No additional costs for CDE for consultation with the CIF, which
is not a state-funded entity.
COMMENTS:
1)Purpose. With the creation of competition cheer as a new
interscholastic sport, participants in the sport will be
governed by rules adopted by CIF, competition cheer coaches
will be required to complete the same training as all other
interscholastic coaches, and participants will be eligible for
an exemption from physical education courses, like all other
interscholastic sport participants.
According to the author, AB 949 would create new safety
guidelines for training and potentially spark changes in
athletic department funding for cheer at California high
schools. The recognition of cheer as an official sport will
provide resources to cheer coaches and cheerleaders consistent
with other CIF-sanctioned sports. The benefits of having the
same CIF standards will ensure a certain level of coaching
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competency and skill once safety guidelines are developed by
the Department and CIF.
2)Background. The CIF is an association of public, private and
parochial secondary schools which was formally established in
1914. The CIF is authorized by state statute and is
responsible for administering all high school athletic
programs; including establishing rules for participation.
According to the CIF website, more than 1,372 public and
private high schools in California compete in the wide range
of athletic activities administered by the CIF and organized
under the direction of local school boards. In total, over
700,000 girls and boys throughout the state compete in more
than 30 sports each year.
3)Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 to the 1964 Civil
Rights Act states that, "No person in the United States shall,
on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be
denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination
under any educational program or activity receiving Federal
financial assistance." Title IX applies to all aspects of
educational opportunities, not just athletics.
Under existing case law, traditional cheer and competitive
cheer are not classified as sports for Title IX purposes,
though the Michigan High School Athletic Association has
sought such recognition. The legal standing of competitive
cheer in Michigan is unclear, however.
Analysis Prepared by:Chuck Nicol / APPR. / (916)
319-2081
AB 949
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