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Truly Agreed to and Finally Passed
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SS#2/SB 863 - This act creates provisions governing organizations that facilitate interscholastic athletic activities for public secondary school students. The act defines an "activities association" as a statewide nonprofit organization that includes at least one public school, charter school, or school district as a fee-paying member and that facilitates interscholastic activities, more than 50% of which are athletic activities, for secondary school students. The term "activities association" does not include organizations that do not facilitate interscholastic athletic activities, such as career and technical student organizations and other organizations specified in the act. A "public school" is defined as including both public schools and charter schools.
Under this act, appeals of decisions made by an activities association may be heard by the newly created "Interscholastic Athletic Oversight Commission", a board of directors appointed by the Governor, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. The term of office of each member shall be four years.
The oversight commission shall hear appeals after the activities association's appeals process has been exhausted or appeals that are made directly to the oversight commission. The oversight commission shall hear only appeals of decisions relating to eligibility due to transfers of students deemed to be for athletic purposes and appeals relating to contests and contest procedures. The oversight commission may recommend rule changes to the activities association to be considered through the activities association's rulemaking procedures.
An activities association shall prepare an annual report and present to House and Senate committees to be chosen by the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tem of the Senate within the first 30 days of the legislative session.
The oversight commission shall be established within the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) for purposes of hearing appeals. DESE shall provide sufficient administrative and financial personnel to support the work of the oversight commission, and shall promulgate rules as necessary to implement a fair and timely appeals process, including timelines and procedural rules for the appeals process.
If the oversight commission is named as a defendant in any action arising from or relating to a decision of the oversight commission, the Attorney General shall represent the oversight commission and the state shall be responsible for all attorney's fees, costs, and damages incurred.
The oversight commission may meet in person or hold virtual meetings. All decisions of the oversight commission are final, not subject to further appeal, and shall be adhered to and implemented by the activities association.
This act is similar to SB 1364 (2026) and HCS/HBs 2278 & 2403 (2026).
OLIVIA SHANNON
Perfected
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SS#2/SB 863 - This act creates provisions governing organizations that facilitate interscholastic athletic activities for public secondary school students. The act defines an "activities association" as a statewide nonprofit organization that includes at least one public school, charter school, or school district as a fee-paying member and that facilitates interscholastic activities, more than 50% of which are athletic activities, for secondary school students. The term "activities association" does not include organizations that do not facilitate interscholastic athletic activities, such as career and technical student organizations and other organizations specified in the act. A "public school" is defined as including both public schools and charter schools.
Under this act, appeals of decisions made by an activities association may be heard by the newly created "Interscholastic Athletic Oversight Commission", a board of directors appointed by the Governor, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. The term of office of each member shall be four years.
The oversight commission shall hear appeals after the activities association's appeals process has been exhausted or appeals that are made directly to the oversight commission. The oversight commission shall hear only appeals of decisions relating to eligibility due to transfers of students deemed to be for athletic purposes and appeals relating to contests and contest procedures. The oversight commission may recommend rule changes to the activities association to be considered through the activities association's rulemaking procedures.
An activities association shall prepare an annual report and present to House and Senate committees to be chosen by the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tem of the Senate within the first 30 days of the legislative session.
The oversight commission shall be established within the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) for purposes of hearing appeals. DESE shall provide sufficient administrative and financial personnel to support the work of the oversight commission, and shall promulgate rules as necessary to implement a fair and timely appeals process, including timelines and procedural rules for the appeals process.
If the oversight commission is named as a defendant in any action arising from or relating to a decision of the oversight commission, the Attorney General shall represent the oversight commission and the state shall be responsible for all attorney's fees, costs, and damages incurred.
The oversight commission may meet in person or hold virtual meetings. All decisions of the oversight commission are final, not subject to further appeal, and shall be adhered to and implemented by the activities association.
This act is similar to HB 2278 (2026).
OLIVIA SHANNON
Senate Substitute
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SS#2/SB 863 - This act creates provisions governing organizations that facilitate interscholastic athletic activities for public secondary school students. The act defines an "activities association" as a statewide nonprofit organization that includes at least one public school, charter school, or school district as a fee-paying member and that facilitates interscholastic activities, more than 50% of which are athletic activities, for secondary school students. The term "activities association" does not include organizations that do not facilitate interscholastic athletic activities, such as career and technical student organizations and other organizations specified in the act. A "public school" is defined as including both public schools and charter schools.
Under this act, appeals of decisions made by an activities association may be heard by the newly created "Interscholastic Athletic Oversight Commission", a board of directors appointed by the Governor, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. The term of office of each member shall be four years.
The oversight commission shall hear appeals after the activities association's appeals process has been exhausted or appeals that are made directly to the oversight commission. The oversight commission shall hear only appeals of decisions relating to eligibility due to transfers of students deemed to be for athletic purposes and appeals relating to contests and contest procedures. The oversight commission may recommend rule changes to the activities association to be considered through the activities association's rulemaking procedures.
An activities association shall prepare an annual report and present to House and Senate committees to be chosen by the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tem of the Senate within the first 30 days of the legislative session.
The oversight commission shall be established within the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) for purposes of hearing appeals. DESE shall provide sufficient administrative and financial personnel to support the work of the oversight commission, and shall promulgate rules as necessary to implement a fair and timely appeals process, including timelines and procedural rules for the appeals process.
If the oversight commission is named as a defendant in any action arising from or relating to a decision of the oversight commission, the Attorney General shall represent the oversight commission and the state shall be responsible for all attorney's fees, costs, and damages incurred.
The oversight commission may meet in person or hold virtual meetings. All decisions of the oversight commission are final, not subject to further appeal, and shall be adhered to and implemented by the activities association.
This act is similar to HB 2278 (2026).
OLIVIA SHANNON
Introduced
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SB 863 - Under this act, any statewide association that facilitates interscholastic activities for secondary school students shall be overseen by a board of directors appointed by the Governor, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. The term of office of each director shall be four years, with the initial appointments staggered such that two members shall serve terms of two years and three members shall serve terms of four years. If the General Assembly is not in session when a position on the board of directors becomes vacant, the Governor shall make a temporary appointment.
The act defines an "activities association" as a nonprofit statewide organization that facilitates interscholastic activities for secondary school students, and whose members include at least one public school district that pays any fees to such association, including any fees relating to membership in the association or participation in any activities facilitated by the association.
OLIVIA SHANNON
Current Bill Text
Read the full stored bill text
SECOND REGULAR SESSION
[TRULY AGREED TO AND FINALLY PASSED]
SENATE SUBSTITUTE NO. 2 FOR
SENATE BILL NO. 863
103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
2026
5125S.07T
AN ACT
To amend chapter 167, RSMo, by adding thereto one new section relating to statewide activities
associations.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Chapter 167, RSMo, is amended by adding thereto 1
one new section, to be known as section 167.795, to read as 2
follows:3
167.795. 1. For purposes of this section, the 1
following terms mean: 2
(1) "Activities association", any nonprofit statewide 3
organization that satisfies the following criteria: 4
(a) The organization facilitates interscholastic 5
activities for secondary school students, including, but not 6
limited to, interscholastic athletic activities; 7
(b) More than fifty percent of the activities 8
facilitated by the organization are interscholastic athletic 9
activities; and 10
(c) The organization's members include at least one 11
public school or school district that pays any fees to such 12
association, including, but not limited to, activity 13
participation fees, tournament registration fees, membership 14
fees, or any other fees or payments relating to membership 15
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in the organization or participation in any activities 16
facilitated by the organization; 17
(d) The term "activities association" does not include 18
organizations that do not facilitate interscholastic 19
athletic activities. Such organizations may include, but 20
are not limited to, career and technical student 21
organizations, academic honor societies, service 22
organizations, leadership organizations, or other student 23
clubs or organizations that do not facilitate 24
interscholastic athletic activities; 25
(2) "Department", the department of elementary and 26
secondary education; 27
(3) "Public school", as defined in section 160.011. 28
The term shall be construed to include a charter school. 29
2. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the 30
contrary, beginning in the 2027-28 school year and 31
continuing in all subsequent school years, appeals of 32
decisions made by an activities association may be heard as 33
provided in subsection 3 of this section by the 34
"Interscholastic Athletic Oversight Commission", which is 35
hereby established. The oversight commission shall consist 36
of five members appointed by the governor, by and with the 37
advice and consent of the senate. The term of office of 38
each member shall be four years, except that of the initial 39
appointed members, two members shall serve terms of two 40
years and three members shall serve terms of four years. At 41
the expiration of the term of each member, the governor, by 42
and with the advice and consent of the senate, shall appoint 43
a successor. If the general assembly is not in session at 44
the time for making an appointment, the governor shall make 45
a temporary appointment as in the case of a vacancy. 46
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3. The oversight commission shall hear appeals after 47
the activities association's appeals process has been 48
exhausted. The appealing party is entitled to file an 49
appeal directly with the oversight commission without first 50
exhausting the activities association's appeals process. 51
The oversight commission shall hear only the following 52
appeals: 53
(1) Appeals relating to eligibility due to transfers 54
of students deemed to be for athletic purposes; and 55
(2) Appeals relating to contests and contest 56
procedures. 57
4. The oversight commission may make recommendations 58
to an activities association for rule changes to be 59
considered through the activities association's rulemaking 60
procedures. 61
5. An activities association shall prepare an annual 62
report and present to a house committee to be chosen by the 63
speaker of the house of representatives within the first 64
thirty days of the legislative session and a senate 65
committee to be chosen by the president pro tempore of the 66
senate within the first thirty days of the legislative 67
session. 68
6. The oversight commission is established within the 69
department for the purposes of hearing the appeals. The 70
department shall provide sufficient administrative and 71
financial personnel to support the work of the oversight 72
commission, and shall promulgate rules concerning the 73
timelines and procedural rules for the oversight 74
commission's appeals process. 75
7. If the oversight commission is named as a defendant 76
in any court action arising from or relating to a decision 77
of the oversight commission, the attorney general shall 78
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represent the oversight commission and the state shall be 79
responsible for all attorney's fees, costs, and damages 80
incurred. 81
8. The oversight commission may hold meetings in 82
person or through remote communication methods, such as 83
teleconference, video conference, or other comparable 84
virtual communication platforms. 85
9. All decisions made by the oversight commission are 86
final and not subject to further appeal. An activities 87
association shall adhere to and implement all decisions 88
involving such activities association made by the oversight 89
commission. 90
10. The department shall promulgate rules as necessary 91
to implement a fair and timely appeals process, including 92
timelines and procedural rules for an appeal to be heard by 93
the oversight commission. Any rule or portion of a rule, as 94
that term is defined in section 536.010, that is created 95
under the authority delegated in this section shall become 96
effective only if it complies with and is subject to all of 97
the provisions of chapter 536 and, if applicable, section 98
536.028. This section and chapter 536 are nonseverable and 99
if any of the powers vested with the general assembly 100
pursuant to chapter 536 to review, to delay the effective 101
date, or to disapprove and annul a rule are subsequently 102
held unconstitutional, then the grant of rulemaking 103
authority and any rule proposed or adopted after August 28, 104
2026, shall be invalid and void. 105
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