As Introduced

136th General Assembly

Regular Session H. B. No. 625

2025-2026

To enact section 3313.5321 of the Revised Code to enact the Student Athlete Mobility (SAM) Act regarding student petitions to participate in team sports at neighboring public schools.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:

Section 1. That section 3313.5321 of the Revised Code be enacted to read as follows:

Sec. 3313.5321. (A) As used in this section:

(1) "Community school" means a community school established under Chapter 3314. Of the Revised Code.

(2) "High school" means a school that serves any of grades nine through twelve.

(3) "Neighboring school" means either of the following:

(a) For a board of education, any of the following:

(i) A high school operated by the board of education other than the high school in which the student is enrolled;

(ii) A high school operated by a school district that directly borders the board of education's school district;

(iii) If the board of education's school district borders Lake Erie, a high school operated by an island school district;

(iv) Any other public high school that is located within the territory of either the board of education's school district or a school district that directly borders the board of education's school district.

(b) For a school governing body, any of the following:

(i) A high school operated by the board of education of the school district in which the other public high school is located;

(ii) A high school operated by a school district that directly borders the school district in which the other public high school is located;

(iii) A different other public high school that is located within the territory of either of the following:

(I) The school district in which the other public high school is located;

(II) A school district that directly borders that school district in which the other public high school is located.

(4) "Other public high school" means a community school or STEM school that is a high school.

(5) "School governing body" means the governing authority of a community school or the governing body of a STEM school.

(6) "STEM school" means a STEM school established under Chapter 3326. of the Revised Code.

(7) "Team sport" means baseball, basketball, field hockey, football, hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis, volleyball, or any other sport that requires cooperative participation by multiple students and would be impractical to compete with a single student.

(B) Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, each school district board of education and school governing body that operates a high school that offers a team sport and is a member school of an organization that regulates interscholastic athletics shall adopt a policy that permits a student who is enrolled in a neighboring school that does not offer that team sport to petition to participate in that team sport at the board of education's or school governing body's high school. Each policy shall include all of the following:

(1) The form and manner in which a neighboring school student may petition to participate in a team sport;

(2) A requirement that both of the following approve the student's participation in the team sport:

(a) The neighboring school's superintendent or chief administrative officer;

(b) The executive director of the organization that regulates interscholastic athletics.

(3) A requirement that, if the student is enrolled in a school district that operates multiple high schools, the student must first petition to participate in a team sport at another high school operated by the district if one offers the team sport. If a student is not approved to participate in a sport at another school operated by the student's district, the student may petition to participate in the team sport under the policy at a high school that is not operated by the student's district.

(C) A student shall not participate in the same team sport under this section at more than one high school operated by a school district or other public high school in any one school year.

(D) If a high school operated by a school district or other public high school participates in any regular season contest for a team sport and subsequently ceases offering that team sport before the conclusion of the athletic season, a student enrolled in that school is not eligible to petition to participate in that team sport under this section until the next school year.

(E) A student is not eligible to petition to participate in a team sport under this section solely because the school in which the student is enrolled does not offer the competition level at which the student wishes to participate, such as a varsity, junior varsity, or freshman team.

(F) A board of education or school governing body that operates a high school and is a member school of an organization that regulates interscholastic athletics may partner with a neighboring school to establish a single team if neither school has a sufficient number of students willing to participate in the team sport. A sufficient number of students shall mean the sum of:

(the minimum number of students required for competition in a team sport during play) + (half of that number, rounded up to the nearest whole).

Section 2. This act shall be known as the Student Athlete Mobility (SAM) Act.