PIERRE — A report on this year’slegislativebillsthatmay haveaffectedtheSouthDakota High School Activities Association led to a warning about state associations that are suffering from legislative interference. TheSDHSAAboard of directors got the report at their meeting on Wednesday, March 4.

SDHSAA Executive Director Dan Swartos told the board that legislative interference with activities associations is occurring across the country. He said it has started in the southeast and is working its way across the nation.

According to Swartos, activities association boards are under the threat of being disbanded by legislative action in MissouriandOklahoma.Other associations are facing legislative threats in Wisconsin, North Carolina and Florida.

The South Dakota association is fortunate, Swartos said, because“wehaveaprettygood relationship with our Legislature.” Swartos added that he tries to be responsive to the needs of the Legislature, the governor’s office and the state Department of Education.

The bills being tracked by SDHSAA included House Bill 1039, calling for cardiac evaluations of students. That bill waswithdrawnbythesponsor, Swartos said.

HB 1073 called on schools to create cardiac emergency plans. That bill was endorsed by the House Education Committee on a 12-0 vote. Because of a $150,000 appropriation for the purchase of automated external defibrillators or AEDs, it next went to the Joint Appropriations Committee where a do pass motion failed on a 6-10 vote. A 10-6 vote sent the bill to the 41st day, a method used for disposing of legislation.

Swartos said the cardiac emergencyplanoutlinedinHB 1073 is similar to something that SDHSAA already requires ofmemberschools.Most schools already have AEDs in their gyms. Swartos said the $150,000 appropriation could have been used by schools that need AEDs away from school grounds, like practice facilities for tennis, soccer and cross-country.

HB 1187 calls for coaches to become mandatory reporters whentheyseestudentsthatare abused or neglected. The original bill gave that distinction to coaches in SDHSAA-sanctioned sports. It was amended, Swartos explained, to include all coaches. That means it would also apply to coaches in non-sanctioned sports like weight-lifting, hockey and baseball.

Thebillwasendorsedunanimously bytheHouseJudiciary Committee 11-0 and the full House 66-0. It will next be heard in the Senate Judiciary Committee on March 5.