Committee hears hours of testimony on transfer and hardship rules for high school sports; bill would limit association investigations and presume no recruitment

House Bill 1491, relating to student eligibility for high school sports and activities, was the subject of a time‑certain hearing before the House Education Committee that drew multiple students, parents, coaches and association officials to testify for and against the proposal.

Representative Blake Rios introduced the bill and said it was prompted by parents and students who lost a year of varsity eligibility under current North Dakota High School Activities Association (NDHSAA) transfer rules. Rios described cases in which students who moved districts for non‑athletic reasons — for example because a parent did not relocate with the family or because a family cited safety concerns — had been required to apply for NDHSAA hardship exceptions and in some cases were denied.

Student and family testimony illustrated the problem proponents described. Student Camry Draper said she moved from Williston to Bismarck and was initially ineligible to swim at varsity level because her father remained in Williston; she and her mother testified they would not let her swim in Williston after a prior coach had been accused of inappropriate conduct. Parent and student witnesses described submitting lease agreements, employer letters, home visits and other documentation as part of NDHSAA investigations…