WEST virginia legislature

2025 regular session

Committee Substitute

for

Senate Bill 470

By Senators Rose, Thorne, and Helton

[Reported March 31, 2025, from the Committee on Education]

A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding a new section, designated §18-2-25f, relating to allowing a student, coach, and athletic trainer to compete in non-school-sponsored events or participate on non-school-sponsored competitive teams; allowing an interscholastic coach to prohibit a player from missing a team-related activity due to that player’s competing in a non-school-sponsored event or participating on a non-school-sponsored competitive team; and providing that the requirements of the interscholastic team shall be prioritized leading up to and during post season play.

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, coach, or athletic trainer should be deprived of additional opportunities to advance or showcase their skills purely because they are associated with a school sports team;

(2) Prohibiting a student-athlete, coach, or athletic trainer from participating in non-school-sponsored events or activities as a condition for association with 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, coach, or athletic trainer from competing in non-school-sponsored events or participating on non-school-sponsored competitive teams as a condition of being associated with a school-sponsored extracurricular activity or sport: Provided, That:

(A) Nothing in this subdivision prevents an interscholastic coach from restricting or prohibiting a player on the team he or she is coaching from missing a team related activity, such as, but not limited to, a game or practice, due to that player’s competing in a non-school-sponsored event or participating on a non-school-sponsored competitive team; and

(B) Leading up to and during post season play the requirements of the interscholastic team as determined by the coach shall be prioritized.