HB1733

The 'Right to Play Act' seeks to eliminate barriers for students participating in interscholastic and extracurricular activities in Arkansas. It mandates that students identified as homeless under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act are immediately eligible to participate in such activities at their enrolled school. Additionally, the bill permits students to participate in non-school athletic activities in the same sport during the school season without losing their school eligibility, provided they do not participate on the same days as school-sponsored practices or competitions. However, this exception for simultaneous participation in school and non-school athletics does not apply to football, basketball, baseball, softball, or volleyball. The bill applies to public schools, open-enrollment public charter schools, and private or parochial schools.