SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (7-20-25) – Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe signed into law Senate Bill 63, also known as the Homeschoolers Sports Act.

The legislation permits Missouri’s home-schooled children to participate in public school districts’ sports and extracurricular activities. The act reads that a school district or charter school shall not prohibit a student receiving instruction at an FPE school, home school, or full-time virtual school it goes on to add that participation is contingent upon the successful completion of a tryout if applicable, in any event or activity offered by the charter school or by the school district in which the student resides.

A school district or charter school may also establish an attendance policy for any required coursework, rehearsals, practice sessions, or training sessions that are directly related to and required for participation in an event or activity.

Andrew Kauffman, the spokesperson for the Missouri State High School Activities Association, says the organization is working to ensure that member schools are ready for the law to take effect on August 28.

Kauffman said-

“We are going to give them everything they need, including a summary of key requirements, our plan for alignment. One thing we want to make very clear, we are going to comply with the state law; we want to make sure all of our schools are as informed as possible to make sure they are compliant with the state law as well.”

MSHSAA will send out the new guidelines on July 15 to member schools regarding the new law.

“It is all hands-on deck with our staff right now, making sure we are complying with state law. It is not an easy task at hand here; we are doing everything we can to get our member schools prepared as much as possible. We have known this is coming for a few months, we have been preparing, and we are at the point now where we are ready to be sending stuff out to the member schools.”

The fall season begins on August 11, 2025, with the first contest date scheduled for Friday, August 29, 2025.

MSHSAA issued the following statement after the bill passed—

“The passage of Senate Bill 63 will mean substantial changes for the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) and its member schools. The final version of the bill is being analyzed to determine the path forward. Our priority is to fully educate our members about the law and to empower the schools to adjust the association’s rules to reflect the provisions within. We are working with the Missouri School Boards’ Association to provide guidance to school districts on policy modifications, and materials will be provided to the membership to assist in local education efforts.”