Transfer Eligibility Bills Are Opposed

With two state legislators poised to seek changes in high school sports transfer rules, Marie Ishida, the executive director of the California Interscholastic Federation, declared her intention Saturday to mobilize support against the measures.

Assemblywoman Audra Strickland (R-Moorpark) wants to allow unlimited school transfers in her bill, AB 2312. State Sen. Deborah Ortiz (D-Sacramento) wants to give students a one-time pass to be eligible to play sports on their first transfer, unless recruiting was involved.

The Senate Education Committee has scheduled an April 5 hearing on Ortiz’s bill, SB 1411.

“I see it as a big threat,” Ishida said. “I could foresee kids wanting to transfer all over the place to successful programs.”

The Southern and Los Angeles City sections have rules that make any students who transfer without changing residences ineligible for one year of varsity competition unless they receive hardship waivers.

The Sac-Joaquin Section has scheduled a vote for next month to approve a policy change that would eliminate hardship waivers and make students who transfer without moving ineligible for the first 30 days of their sports seasons.

A similar proposal has been discussed at CIF meetings as a possible statewide policy.

Ishida said intervention by the Legislature “would negate any local decision making and force one rule statewide, and we feel that’s problematic.”