A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to establish a commission to study the classification and alignment of high schools by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association for the purposes of athletic competition.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  Establishment. – There is established a Commission to Study the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) Classification and Alignment of High School Athletics (Commission).
SECTION 2.  Membership. – The Commission shall be composed of 15 members as follows:
(1)	Two members appointed by the Governor.
(2)	Six members appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, to include:
a.	A representative of the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.
b.	A representative of NCHSAA.
c.	A high school athletic coach or athletic director.
d.	A representative of the Matthew Gfeller Sport‑Related Traumatic Brain Injury Research Center at The University of North Carolina.
e.	A representative of the North Carolina Athletic Trainers Association.
f.	A parent of a student athlete from a NCHSAA participating high school.
(3)	Six members appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, to include:
a.	A representative of North Carolina's school district superintendents.
b.	A representative of NCHSAA.
c.	A high school principal from a NCHSAA participating high school with a 1A or 2A classification.
d.	A high school principal from a NCHSAA participating high school with a 3A or 4A classification.
e.	A physician specializing in sports medicine.
f.	A parent of a student athlete from a NCHSAA participating high school.
(4)	The Executive Director of the Education Cabinet or the Executive Director's designee, serving ex officio.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives shall designate one member as cochair, and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate shall designate one member as cochair. The Commission shall meet upon the call of the chairs. A quorum of the Commission shall be eight members. Any vacancy on the Commission shall be filled by the appointing authority.
SECTION 3.  Duties. – The Commission shall study the following matters related to North Carolina's high school competitive athletic activities:
(1)	The current process employed by NCHSAA for the classification of high schools as 4A, 3A, 2A, and 1A, and the assignment of those schools to conferences.
(2)	The current appeal process for schools to challenge classification and conference assignments.
(3)	Safety issues for student athletes from a high school with a small student population playing in the same conference as a high school with a large student population because of the limited pool of players, including:
a.	Reduced rest time for students during play.
b.	Injuries from contact sports when students are matched incompatibly with opposing players.
(4)	The significance of travel time and distance as a factor in assigning schools to an athletic conference.
(5)	Alternative methods of classifying schools and assigning those schools to conferences to improve statewide student participation and safety in competitive athletic activities.
SECTION 4.  Compensation; Administration. – Members of the Commission shall receive subsistence and travel allowances at the rates set forth in G.S. 120‑3.1, 138‑5, or 138‑6, as appropriate. With the prior approval of the Legislative Services Task Force, the Legislative Services Officer shall assign professional and clerical staff to assist in the work of the Commission. With the prior approval of the Legislative Services Commission, the Commission may hold its meetings in the State Legislative Building or the Legislative Office Building. The Commission may also meet at various locations around the State in order to promote greater public participation in its deliberations. The Commission, while in the discharge of its official duties, may exercise all the powers provided under the provisions of G.S. 120‑19 and G.S. 120‑19.1 through G.S. 120‑19.4, including the power to request all officers, agents, agencies, and departments of the State to provide any information, data, or documents within their possession, ascertainable from their records or otherwise available to them, and the power to subpoena witnesses.
SECTION 5.  Report. – The Commission shall make a final report of its findings and recommendations to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee and the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services on or before March 1, 2014. The Commission shall terminate upon the filing of its final report.
SECTION 6.  This act is effective when it becomes law.