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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, Thousands of young students participate in high
3school athletic and academic competitions in Illinois each
4school year; and
 
5    WHEREAS, High school athletic and academic contests are an
6integral part of all communities across Illinois, both small
7and large; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Public high school athletic and academic programs
9belong to the taxpayers who fund their local school districts
10across Illinois; and
 
11    WHEREAS, The health and safety of those students and
12student athletes is of paramount importance; and
 
13    WHEREAS, School districts incur substantial costs to
14enable students and student athletes to have broad athletic and
15academic opportunities; and
 
16    WHEREAS, The State Board of Education provides general
17oversight to school districts throughout Illinois; and
 
18    WHEREAS, The Illinois High School Athletic Association
19(IHSA) provides oversight and administrative assistance to

 

 

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1school athletic programs and other extra-curricular programs;
2and
 
3    WHEREAS, The IHSA regulates, or has attempted to regulate,
4access to high school athletic and academic events, including
5access by members of local community media organizations; and
 
6    WHEREAS, The IHSA has entered into exclusive contracts with
7vendors and suppliers to identify particular types of balls,
8bats, and other athletic equipment and clothing that are
9required to be used by IHSA members, in return for monetary
10compensation to the IHSA; and
 
11    WHEREAS, The IHSA and other state athletic associations
12have discussed a national venture to control access to and
13distribution of video and other media coverage of publicly
14funded high school athletic and academic competitions; and
 
15    WHEREAS, The IHSA has refused to make public exclusive
16contracts with vendors and suppliers of "the official state
17basketball" and similar contracts, including the income to IHSA
18from such sponsorships; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Illinois high schools should be aware of the funds
20generated by these contracts between the IHSA and vendors and
21suppliers, as well as the revenues generated by the athletic

 

 

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1and academic contests in which Illinois's student athletes
2participate; and
 
3    WHEREAS, With few exceptions, IHSA members may compete only
4with other IHSA members in athletic and academic contests (IHSA
5Constitution Section 2.050) resulting in virtual mandatory
6membership in the IHSA for schools; and
 
7    WHEREAS, The United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh
8Circuit's final holding in the case of Wisconsin
9Interscholastic Athletic Association, and American, Inc. v.
10Gannett Co., Inc., and Wisconsin Newspaper Association.658
11F.3d 614, is contrary to the public policy of the State of
12Illinois, and it is incumbent upon this General Assembly to
13enact legislation to properly re-state the policy of the State;
14therefore, be it
 
15    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
16NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
17the House Committee on Elementary and Secondary Education be
18encouraged to hold subject matter hearings on the issues
19presented by this Resolution, the administration and funding of
20high school sports, the safety of high school athletes, the
21systems and protocols of the IHSA, the costs and income
22associated with the administration of high school sports
23(including any trademarks or copyrights claimed by the IHSA)

 

 

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1and the feasibility of statutorily transferring the duties and
2functions of the IHSA to the Illinois State Board of Education;
3the committee is further asked to examine the issues of
4transparency and accountability in relation to high school
5athletic and academic programs in Illinois; the Committee is
6encouraged to make recommendations to the full House of
7Representatives on these issues.