Bill Text: WV SB813 | 2024 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Allowing students to participate in non-school competitive activities
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 6-0)
Status: (Engrossed) 2024-02-29 - To House Education [SB813 Detail]
Download: West_Virginia-2024-SB813-Introduced.html
WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE
2024 REGULAR SESSION
Introduced
Senate Bill 813
By Senator Grady
[Introduced February 16, 2024; referred
to the Committee on Education]
A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated §18-2-25f, relating to allowing students to participate in non-school athletic activities.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
ARTICLE 2. STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION
§18-2-25f. Participation in non-school athletic activities.
The Legislature hereby finds that:
(1) While participation in school sponsored extracurricular sports is a voluntary opportunity, no student-athlete should be deprived of additional opportunities to advance or showcase their skills purely because they are playing for a school sports team;
(2) Prohibiting a student-athlete from participating in non-school sponsored events or activities as a condition for participation on a school-sponsored team is unlawfully arbitrary and is not rationally related to a state purpose; and
(3) A county board of education and the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission may not restrict nor prohibit a student from competing in non-school events or participating on non-school competitive teams as a condition of playing for a school extracurricular activity or sport.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to allow student-athletes to participate in competitive events and activities while playing for their school.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.