The bill amends the Code of West Virginia to exempt students participating in extracurricular sports from the physical education requirements mandated for middle and high school students. Specifically, it introduces a new provision stating that at the end of each sports season, coaches must provide a list of students in good standing, and those students will not be subject to the physical education requirements during the year they are listed. This change aims to encourage participation in sports while addressing the growing concern of obesity and sedentary lifestyles among children.

Additionally, the bill retains existing requirements for physical education participation in elementary schools and modifies the requirements for middle and high school students, making them conditional upon the new exemption for athletes. The legislation emphasizes the importance of physical activity in combating health issues and mandates the State Department of Education to implement programs that promote fitness and health among students. It also includes provisions for the collection and reporting of body mass index data to monitor the health of school-aged children.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 18-2-7a
Committee Substitute: 18-2-7a