BILL ANALYSIS �
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Alan Lowenthal, Chair
2011-2012 Regular Session
BILL NO: SB 107
AUTHOR: Price
INTRODUCED: January 13, 2011
FISCAL COMM: No HEARING DATE: March 16, 2011
URGENCY: No CONSULTANT: Lynn Lorber
SUBJECT : California Interscholastic Federation.
SUMMARY
This bill extends the sunset on statutes relative to the
California Interscholastic Federation by 10 years, to
January 1, 2022.
BACKGROUND
Current law:
1) Establishes the California Interscholastic Federation
(CIF) as a voluntary organization of school and
school-related staff who are responsible for high
school interscholastic athletics. (Education Code �
33353)
2) Limits the authority of the California Department of
Education (CDE) over interscholastic athletics to the
following:
a) The CDE is authorized to determine if the
policies of school districts and the CIF are in
compliance with state and federal laws.
b) The CDE is authorized to require a school
district or CIF to adjust any policy that the CDE
determines is not in compliance with state and
federal laws.
c) Prohibits the CDE from determining the
specific policy that a school district must adopt
in order to comply with state and federal laws.
SB 107
Page 2
d) Authorizes the CDE to pursue legal
proceedings against the CIF or school district if
the CIF or district does not adjust a policy that
is out of compliance with state and federal laws.
e) Authorizes the CDE to specify, with regard
to a specific discrimination complaint, the
administrative remedies that a school district or
the CIF must provide in order to comply with
state and federal law. (EC � 33354)
3) Requires the CIF to report to the Legislature and
Governor by January 1, 2010, on several specified
goals and objectives, such as effectiveness of the
governance structure, gender equity, health and
safety, and economic viability. (EC � 33353)
4) Sunsets CIF statutes on January 1, 2012. (EC � 33353)
The CIF has adopted a constitution, bylaws, policies and
guidance, covering issues such as eligibility, appeals,
rules for each sport, and the health and safety of student
athletes.
ANALYSIS
This bill extends the sunset on statutes relative to the
California Interscholastic Federation. Specifically, this
bill:
1) Extends the sunset by 10 years, to January 1, 2022.
2) Continues the existing reporting requirement, with the
report due to the Legislature and Governor by January
1, 2017.
STAFF COMMENTS
1) Need for the bill . According to the author, "If CIF
statutes sunset, there would no longer be consistent
statewide rules governing public and private high
school education-based interscholastic athletic
competition nor would there be an agency responsible
for organizing state athletic championship events."
2) Why not repeal the sunset ? Prior attempts to repeal
SB 107
Page 3
the sunset date on CIF provisions have been met with
opposition primarily concerned that there was a lack
of accountability on the part of the CIF, the CDE,
participating school districts and athletic leagues in
dispensing with issues raised by the public,
specifically issues relating to gender equity (Title
IX). By keeping a sunset date in statute, the
Legislature has maintained some level of oversight and
has required the CIF to take certain actions prior to
the consideration of further extensions of the sunset
date. Keeping a sunset date in statute allows the
Legislature to re-examine CIF's role in addressing
issues as they arise, such as testing athletes for
performance-enhancing drugs, as well as review the
report CIF is required to submit to the Governor and
Legislature.
3) Is 10 years too long ? Does extending the sunset for
10 years allow for meaningful oversight? This
Committee passed a bill that extended the sunset on
CIF by 10 years in 2005. That sunset extension was
reduced to a five-year extension while the bill was in
the Assembly.
4) Reporting requirement . This bill requires CIF to
submit a report to the Legislature and Governor by
January 1, 2017, yet sunsets the CIF provisions five
years later, on January 1, 2022. Staff recommends an
amendment to require CIF to not only submit a report
in 2017 but also submit a report by January 1, 2021.
This would ensure that the Legislature and Governor
have an up-to-date report about CIF at the time
another sunset extension may be considered.
5) Prior legislation .
SB 562 (Torlakson, Chapter 301, 2006)
among other things, extended the sunset on CIF
statutes from January 1, 2007, to January 1,
2012.
SB 225 (Kuehl, Chapter 889, 2001) among
other things, extended the sunset date from
January 1, 2002, to January 1, 2007.
SUPPORT
SB 107
Page 4
Association of California School Administrators
California Association of Private School Organizations
California Interscholastic Federation
California School Boards Association
California State Athletic Directors Association
CIF Southern Section
North Coast Section, CIF
Orange County Athletic Directors Association
West Coast Center for Orthopedic Surgery and Sports
Medicine
West Coast Sports Medicine Foundation
Numerous private and public schools and school districts
OPPOSITION
None on file.