Existing law describes the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) as a voluntary organization that consists of school and school-related personnel with responsibility for administering interscholastic athletic activities in secondary schools, and sets forth the Legislature’s intent regarding the CIF’s implementation of certain policies.

This bill would require the CIF to establish a 5-year pilot program, operating from the 2027–28 academic year through the 2031–32 academic year, that sanctions flag football as an authorized sport for high school boys who are enrolled in the California Interscholastic Federation’s member schools in the Counties of Orange and Riverside.

This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the Counties of Orange and Riverside.

33353.2.

(a) The California Interscholastic Federation shall establish a five-year pilot program that sanctions flag football as an interscholastic sport governed by the California Interscholastic Federation. This pilot program shall include, but not be limited to, both of the following components:

(1) The pilot program shall operate from the 2027–28 academic year through the 2031–32 academic year.

(2) The pilot program shall be available to high school boys who are enrolled in the California Interscholastic Federation’s member schools in the Counties of Orange and Riverside.

(b) The California Interscholastic Federation shall adopt bylaws to implement this section.

(c) This section shall become inoperative on July 1, 2032, and, as of January 1, 2033, is repealed.

The Legislature finds and declares that a special statute is necessary and that a general statute cannot be made applicable within the meaning of Section 16 of Article IV of the California Constitution because of the unique need to pilot boys’ flag football as a high school sport governed by the California Interscholastic Federation in the Counties of Orange and Riverside.