Fair Play in Community Sports Act - AB2881

WHAT IS ASSEMBLY BILL (AB) 2881 - FAIR PLAY IN COMMUNITY SPORTS ACT?

The Fair Play Act, as it is commonly referred to, is a California law that prohibits gender discrimination in community youth sports programs. The Fair Play Act requires that girls be provided opportunities for participation in competitive sports programs that are equal, both in quality and scope, as those provided to boys.

 

WHAT DOES THE LAW REQUIRE?
The Fair Play Act requires that park and recreation departments provide girl and boy athletes with equal opportunities and equal treatment in their youth sports programs. Your local department must provide youth sports participation opportunities for girls and boys in numbers that reflect the percentages of girls and boys in the community. Additionally, the law requires that girls’ and boys’ sports be given equal access to resources such as athletic fields and sports equipment. The Fair Play Act covers programs run directly by park and recreation departments as well as programs offered by third-party youth sports organizations that use park and recreation facilities.

It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this act that girls shall be accorded opportunities for participation in community youth athletics programs equal, both in quality and scope, to those accorded to boys.  A local agency shall not discriminate against any person on the basis of sex or gender in the operation, conduct, or administration of community youth athletics programs or in the allocation of parks and recreation facilities and resources that support or enable these programs.

(1) Does participation in sport have to be equal?
Enrollment opportunities must be proportionate to the percentage of boys and girls in the jurisdiction. Participation does not actually need to be equivalent. (“[G]irls shall be accorded opportunities for participation in community youth athletics programs equal, both in quality and scope, to those accorded to boys.” (Govt Code Sec. 53080(e)).  Further, when reviewing whether a City is complying with this requirement, “a court shall assess whether the [local agency] has effectively accommodated the athletic interests and abilities of both genders in any one of the following ways: (1) The community youth athletics program opportunities for boys and girls are provided in numbers substantially proportionate to their respective numbers in the community.”

(2) What does “youth sports” mean?
Government Code Section 53080: (c) “community youth athletics program” means any athletic program in which youth solely or predominantly participate, that is organized for the purposes of training for and engaging in athletic activity and competition, and that is in any way operated, conducted, administered, supported, or enabled by a city, county, city and county, or special district.

 

QUALIFYING PROGRAMS:

City Programs:

YOUTH BASKETBALL
    • Coed Kindergarten
    • Boys 1st-8th grades 
    • Girls 1st-8th grades
Community Programs that use City Facilities:

JAMES LEMOS SWIM CENTER

    • Stingrays - male & female
    • High School Swim Team - male & female
CITY GYM
  • St. Dom's Girls Volleyball
  • St. Dom's Boys Basketball
  • St. Dom's Girls Basketball
FIELDS
  • Benicia Little League - males
  • Benicia Fastpitch Softball - females
  • Benicia Youth Soccer - males & females
  • Benicia Arsenal - males & females
  • Benicia Football & Cheer - males & females
  • Travel softball teams - females
  • Travel baseball teams - males
AB2881 - Fair Play in Community Sports Act
City of Benicia Non-Discrimination Policy - AB2881