The league may require sports officials to register, complete education, keep a local affiliation, follow league rules, and undergo background checks; it may also charge limited registration fees and regulate, suspend, or revoke registration under specified procedures.
Sec. 33.085. AUTHORITY OF UNIVERSITY INTERSCHOLASTIC LEAGUE REGARDING ACTIVITIES INVOLVING SPORTS OFFICIALS. (a) In this section: (1) "League" means the University Interscholastic League. (2) "Sports official" means a person who officiates, judges, or in any manner enforces contest rules in any official capacity with respect to and during the course of an interscholastic athletic team competition and who is a member of a league-recognized local chapter or association of sports officials. The term includes a referee, umpire, linesman, judge, or any other person similarly involved in supervising competitive play. The term does not include a league board member or a league official who is acting in an official capacity to supervise, administer, or enforce the league constitution or league contest rules. (b) The league may require a sports official, as a condition of eligibility to officiate a contest sponsored by the league, to: (1) be registered with the league and comply with the registration requirements of Subsections (c) and (c-1); (2) have completed initial and continuing education programs regarding league rules; (3) be a member in good standing of a local chapter or association of sports officials recognized by the league for that purpose; and (4) agree to abide by league rules, including fee schedules and travel reimbursement guidelines for payment by school districts or open-enrollment charter schools to a sports official. (c) In registering with the league, a sports official must be required to provide directory information required by the league and undergo an initial criminal background check. (c-1) To maintain registration with the league, a sports official must: (1) maintain compliance with conditions of eligibility required by the league under Subsection (b); and (2) undergo a subsequent criminal background check once every three years following the date of the initial criminal background check under Subsection (c). (d) The league may not charge a sports official who completes a program under Subsection (b)(2) a fee for more than one program described by Subsection (b)(2). (e) The league may charge and collect a registration fee only to defray the cost of registering sports officials and shall post the amount of the fee on the league's Internet website and make the information available at other places the league determines appropriate. The amount of the fee may not exceed the amount reasonably determined by the league to be necessary to cover the cost of administering registration. (f) The league may revoke or suspend the league registration of a sports official determined by the league to have violated the provisions of the league constitution or contest rules governing sports officials or other league policy applicable to sports officials. Before the league may take action to revoke or suspend a sports official's registration, the league shall notify and consult with the local chapter or association of sports officials of which the sports official is a member. The local chapter or association may, on or before the 15th day after the date notice is received from the league, take action to adjudicate the alleged violation. If after the 15th day after the date notice is received from the league the local chapter or association has failed to take action against the sports official or takes action that the league finds to be insufficient, the league may take action against the sports official. The league shall adopt rules to provide a sports official with the opportunity for an appeals process before the league revokes or suspends the sports official's registration. In adopting rules under this subsection, the league shall make a determination of the actions and subsequent sanctions that would be considered sufficient under this subsection. (g) The league may not sponsor or organize or attempt to sponsor or organize any association of sports officials in which the majority of the membership is composed of sports officials who officiate team sports. (h) The league may set rates or fee schedules payable by a school district or open-enrollment charter school to a sports official. (i) Before the league may take any action that amends rules related to the activities of sports officials, other than an action against an individual sports official under Subsection (f), the league must submit the proposed action for public review and comment, including: (1) notifying registered sports officials of the proposed action by e-mail not later than the 30th day before the date set for action on the proposal; and (2) posting the proposal on the league's Internet website for at least 30 consecutive days before the date set for action on the proposal. Added by Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 952 (H.B. 1775), Sec. 1, eff. June 14, 2013. Amended by: Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 335 (H.B. 1075), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2017.