LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AGENDA December 7, 2016 Hermitage, TN

  1. Roll Call
  2. Approved Minutes of Last Meeting
  3. Election of Officers
    • Dan Black was elected to continue to serve as President of the Legislative Council
    • Mike Reynolds was elected to continue to serve as Vice President of the Legislative Council
  4. 2016 Regional Meetings
    1. Approved (with changes) addition to Article IV, Section 8 (TSSAA Sports Calendar) Off-Season:
      • Begins with the school’s elimination from postseason tournament play in a particular sport and concludes with the end of the school year. In football, no pads are permitted. Helmets may be worn.
      • Individual instructions may be given to no more than three student-athletes per day.
      Pre-Season:
      • Begins the first day of school until the first official day of practice in that particular sport. Individual instructions may be given to no more than three student-athletes per day.
      Submitted by TSSAA Staff
    2. Approved proposed Change in Article I, Section 9(D) (Coaches) of the TSSAA Bylaws:This proposal is to remove the requirement that classified employee or non-faculty coaches may only serve as a head coach in football, basketball, baseball, girls’ softball, and track and field if they have five (5) or more years as experience as a coach at a TSSAA or TMSAA member school. Submitted by Wayne County High School
    3. Denied proposed Change in Article III, Section 14 (Playing of Ineligible Student-Athletes) of the TSSAA Bylaws:Currently, when a team plays an ineligible athlete in TSSAA tournaments or playoffs, the entire contest is forfeited, the team is removed from the tournament or playoff, and no team replaces that team in the tournament series. All awards and money earned from the post-season tournament series must be returned to TSSAA. This proposal is to eliminate the phrase, “no team replaces that team in the tournament series,” from the rule. Submitted by Fred J. Page High School
    4. Approved proposed Change in Article IV, Section 1 (Schools Which Member Schools May Play or Scrimmage) of the TSSAA Bylaws:This proposal is to allow current players to play against Alumni players during the first week of official practice and count this toward the allowed 4 preseason scrimmages. A member school may play one alumni game or one preseason scrimmage with alumni in all sports except football. If the school has separate teams for boys and girls in a particular sport (e.g., girls’ and boys’ basketball), each team may play an alumni game which must count as a regular season contest. A preseason scrimmage with alumni must count as one of the four permitted preseason scrimmages. Submitted by Briarcrest Christian School
    5. Denied proposed Addition to Articles III & IV of the TSSAA Constitution:We are requesting that the Legislative Council amend existing TSSAA bylaws to allow three additional seats on both the Legislative Council and the Board of Control to be filled by Directors of Schools selected from each grand division through the procedures as set forth for all voting seats on the Legislative Council or Board of Control. Submitted by Bradford High School
    6. Voted to table proposed Addition to Article I, Section 6 (Cooperative Programs) of the TSSAA Bylaws:Section 6 currently reads: Only two member schools may petition TSSAA annually for permission to have a cooperative program in any sport if one of the schools does not have that program and has not had that program for the last five years. The Executive Director of TSSAA may approve such cooperative programs subject to approval by principal of schools involved, the governing board of the schools involved, and the Board of Control. Addition: Schools that have a cooperative program will be classified in the sports in which the cooperative program exists by using the smaller number of the following calculations.
      1. Combined enrollment of the two schools involved in the cooperative program.
      2. Applying a multiplier of 1.8 to the larger of the two schools involved in the cooperative program.
      Submitted by McKenzie High School
    7. Amended and approved the proposed Addition to Article I, Section 6 (Cooperative Programs) of the TSSAA Bylaws:Public and charter schools may form cooperative agreements only with other public and charter schools. Independent schools may form cooperative agreements only with other independent schools. Submitted by Harding Academy
  5. New Business
    1. Voted to table the proposed Change to the Definition of “Financial Assistance Program” in the TSSAA Bylaws until the March meeting:Employment, as used herein, is defined as hiring an individual so as to be required by federal tax law to issue the individual a W-2 or a 1099 (in the case of a private contractor). The hiring of an entity in which a student-athlete’s parent(s), guardian(s), or immediate family member(s) owns an interest, as a vendor in the school’s ordinary course of business is not to be considered as employment as used herein. Submitted by Columbia Academy
    2. b. Approved proposed addition to the “Football Regulations” that it is required that helmets be worn during any football practice or activity that involves contact, including 7 on 7 competition.
    3. Voted to table the proposed Change to Article II, Section 21 (Independent Game Participation) of the TSSAA Bylaws
    4. Approved the proposed Change to Article I, Section 9(B) (Coaches) of the TSSAA BylawsUse of a coach who does not meet all the requirements listed above or the use of a Non-Faculty Coach or Classified Employee Coach who has not been submitted to the state office shall result in a fine of $500.00. Use of a full time certified teacher or retired educator who has not been submitted to the state office shall result in a fine of $50.00.
    5. Approved addition to Article VIII (Regional Meeting) of the TSSAA ConstitutionFailure of a member school to attend the Regional Meeting two consecutive years shall result in a fine of $100.00.