Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE
    2024 REGULAR SESSION
                Introduced House Bill 5653
               By Delegate Rowe [Introduced February 13, 2024; Referred to the Committee on Education]
     Intr HB                                          2024R2612
1    A BILL to amend and reenact §18-2-25e of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating
2              to removing the one-time free transfer for high school student-athletes and grandfather
3              students who transferred during the 2023-2024 school year.
     Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
     ARTICLE                 2.           STATE                BOARD             OF             EDUCATION.
     §18-2-25e.              Athletic eligibility of          transfer students.
1              (a) The West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission shall modify its rule, prior to
2    the 2023-2024 school year, to allow students to transfer schools and retain athletic eligibility at
3    least one time during a student's four years of secondary school, inclusive of grades nine through
4    12. The West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission may promulgate an emergency
5    rule, if necessary, to modify its rule prior to the 2023-2024 school year.
6              (b) Nothing in this section is intended to limit or restrict a student transferring more than
7    one time for the following reasons:
8              (1) The West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission's ability to make eligibility
9    determinations on a case-by-case basis when warranted by a student's circumstances in
10   accordance with the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission's rules; or
11             (2) For any other reason permitted under the rules of the West Virginia Secondary School
12   Activities Commission.
13             (a) The West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission may not permit students to
14   transfer and retain athletic eligibility.
15             (b) The West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission may grandfather in any
16   students who transferred in        the        2023-2034         school year.
               NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to remove the one-time free transfer for high school student-athletes and to grandfather in students who transferred during the 2023-2024
               school year.
               Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law
                                                           1
Intr HB                                       2024R2612
          and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.
                                                   2
Statutes affected: 
Introduced Version: 18-2-25e