(a) No later than July 1, 2017, the California Interscholastic Federation, in consultation with the department, shall develop guidelines, procedures, and safety standards for the purpose of classifying competition cheer as an interscholastic sport that is consistent with the United States Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights’ definition of a sport.
(b) For purposes of this section, “competition cheer” means a sport in which teams participate in direct, head-to-head competition with one another using an objective scoring system.
(c) The California Interscholastic Federation shall seek a United States Department of Education Office for Civil Rights Title IX compliance designation for competition cheer. Competition cheer shall not be counted toward a school’s Title IX compliance unless the United States Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights deems competition cheer compliant with its definition of a sport.
(Amended by Stats. 2016, Ch. 86, Sec. 57. (SB 1171) Effective January 1, 2017.)