AUSTIN — Amendments to current UIL rules passed by the Legislative Council of the University Interscholastic League have been approved by Commissioner of Education Robert Scott. The Commissioner’s approval allows the rule changes and amendments to the UIL Constitution and Contest Rules to take effect immediately and for the 2008-09 school year.

The protocol, opportunity to appeal a positive test result and penalty structure for the UIL Anabolic Steroid Testing Program approved last week by the UIL Legislative Council, were approved Monday. This step allows for the largest steroid testing program in the country, and the first of its kind for high school students, to be implemented this spring.

The rules regarding the UIL Anabolic Steroid Testing Program take effect immediately.
 
Senate Bill 8, passed by the 80th Texas Legislature, and signed into law by Governor Rick Perry in June 2007 mandates the UIL conduct random steroidtesting of high school athletes in grades 9-12 at approximately 30 percentof UIL member high schools and sample a statistically significant number of students.

In other UIL news from Monday:

* Four teams from each district will advance to the playoffs in conference 4A for all team sports, increased from three. The four-team format in 4A passed on the referendum ballot with a 186-38 vote.

The change will not take effect until the next realignment period in the 2008-09 school year.

Subscribe to this comment's feed