HB 2528: To permit students in Christian schools at the elementary and middle school level to participate in county level sport tournaments - West Virginia

hb2528 sfat grady _1 4-10 adopted.htm → Enrolled Committee Substitute · 3 edits · Apr 28, 2025

MINOR

The bill was converted from a draft proposal to its final enrolled version, incorporating the State Board of Education's amendments. The final text clarifies that private and parochial school students can participate in county athletic tournaments if they have competed against at least two public schools during the regular season, while maintaining strict eligibility criteria for home-schooled and private school students regarding academic progress and age limits.

Scope change

The scope remains focused on authorizing private and parochial school students to participate in county athletic tournaments, but the final version adds specific conditions (playing against two public schools) and clarifies the rules for home-schooled students and microschool participants.

ELIGIBILITY

Added a specific requirement that elementary and middle school students from private or parochial schools must have played against at least two public schools during the regular season to qualify for county tournament participation.

Refined the eligibility criteria for home-schooled students and microschool participants to explicitly require an average test result within or above the fourth stanine in all subject areas.

REQUIREMENT

Updated the title and text to reflect the final legislative language, including specific citations to the West Virginia Code and the effective date of 90 days from passage.

Engrossed Committee Substitute → hb2528 sfat grady _1 4-10 adopted.htm · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill text was updated to reflect a Senate amendment that replaced the original title with a new version clarifying the bill's purpose. The amendment broadens the scope of eligibility to include elementary and middle school students from private, parochial, or religious schools, allowing them to participate in county athletic tournaments under specific conditions. This change expands access for younger students in nonpublic schools who previously might have been excluded from such tournaments.

Scope change

The bill now explicitly includes elementary and middle school students from private, parochial, or religious schools in county athletic tournaments, whereas the original text focused more broadly on private and parochial secondary schools without explicitly distinguishing elementary and middle school levels in the title.

SCOPE

The bill title was amended to specify that the law applies to elementary and middle school students in addition to high school students, clarifying the target demographic for participation in county athletic tournaments.

ELIGIBILITY

New eligibility criteria were introduced for elementary and middle school students enrolled in nonpublic schools, allowing them to participate in county athletic tournaments if they have played against at least two public schools during the previous regular athletic season.

TECHNICAL

The original title and introductory text were removed and replaced with the amended version reflecting the Senate's changes to the bill's scope and focus.

Committee Substitute → Engrossed Committee Substitute · 2 edits · Apr 11, 2025

MINOR

The bill version was updated from a Committee Substitute to an Engrossed Committee Substitute, incorporating the final text approved by the House. This version adds a blank line after the committee report date and updates the document title to reflect its current status in the legislative process.

Scope change

No substantive changes to the bill's scope, eligibility, or policy requirements were made; the text remains identical to the previous version.

TECHNICAL

Updated the document title from 'Committee Substitute' to 'Engrossed Version' to reflect the bill's progression through the House.

Added a blank line after the committee report date in the header section.

Introduced Version → Committee Substitute · 2 edits

MINOR

The bill was amended to expand eligibility for private school students to participate in county athletic tournaments. The change broadens the scope from only basketball to all county athletic tournaments and adds a new requirement that students must have competed against at least two public schools during the regular season to qualify.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded from authorizing participation in county basketball tournaments to authorizing participation in county athletic tournaments.

ELIGIBILITY

Changed the specific sport from basketball to all county athletic tournaments.

REQUIREMENT

Added a new condition requiring students to have played against at least two public schools during the previous regular athletic season.

To permit students in Christian schools at the elementary and middle school level to participate in county level sport tournaments

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