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Legislative Council Update

2021-2022 UIL Rule Changes 

UIL is providing information related to actions taken by the UIL Legislative Council on June 15, 2021 for proposed 2021-2022 rule changes. These changes will take effect on August 1, 2021. 

The complete packet of Council actions has been posted online. Highlights include:

Broadcast of UIL Events

An amendment to Section 868, Broadcast of UIL Events:

  • This change now allows regular season Friday night football games to be broadcast live over the internet and in compliance with UIL BROADCAST GUIDELINES. Guidelines will be updated prior to the 2021-22 school year.

Changes Related to Sports Officials

  • An amendment to comply with HB 2721 related to the assault of a sports official:
    • Section 33.081 of the Texas Education Code will now require a high school student who “intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly causes bodily injury” to a contest official or judge to be suspended from all UIL activities for a minimum of two years.
  • An amendment to Section 1204(m), Flat Fee Schedule and Travel Reimbursement:
    • The last mileage range (91-120.9 miles) has been removed, initiating portal to portal mileage reimbursement at 91 miles.
  • An amendment to Section 1207 related to the assault of a sports official:
    • This clarifies that the UIL State Executive Committee has the authority to sanction a school and/or team when a student commits an assault on a sports official.
    • Additionally, this rule requires schools to develop policies, if they do not already have them, for preventing a spectator who assaults a sports official from attending future UIL events. These policies do not need to be approved by or submitted to UIL.

Homeschool Participation

The passage of HB 547, relating to allowing schools to provide UIL participation opportunities to homeschool students, requires changes to several UIL rules. The complete list of changes can be found in the packet of Council actions beginning on page 28. Additionally, UIL has created a Homeschool Student FAQ, which we will continue to update. It is important to completely review HB 547 and all of the rule changes. Highlights include:

  • Schools may decide locally whether the school will allow homeschool students to participate in UIL activities. Schools opting to allow homeschool students to participate in varsity athletics for the 2021-2022 school year must notify their District Executive Committee(s) (DEC) and the UIL by August 1, 2021. UIL will release information soon related to the notification process. For schools that decide to allow such participation after the August 1 date, those students would be eligible for academics, music and sub-varsity athletic activities only for that school year.
  • A non-enrolled (homeschool) student may only participate in a league activity for the school in the school district that the student would be eligible to attend based on the student’s residential address. Homeschool students must also be in compliance with Section 442 of the C&CR.
  • For any homeschool student who has moved into the school’s attendance zone within the previous twelve months, a DEC hearing will be required for the student to be eligible for varsity athletics participation.
  • The UIL Legislative Council did NOT pass rules related to how allowing homeschool participation will impact a school’s enrollment for UIL reclassification and realignment purposes. Council will continue to discuss those potential rule changes, including an ad hoc committee meeting soon to further review the topic. UIL will release that information once it is finalized, likely at the October meeting of the Legislative Council.