The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.West Virginia bill sanctions women's wrestling in public high and charter schools starting in 2026-2027
Last action · February 17, 2026: To House EducationSponsors: Buck Jennings and 10 others
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What This Bill Proposed
To permit women’s wrestling in public high schools as a sanctioned event
Establishes a newly sanctioned varsity sport statewide, requiring local education boards and the athletic commission to incorporate women's wrestling competitions into official school athletic programs starting next school year.
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
female students
Female students in public high schools and public charter schools gain access to women's wrestling as an official sanctioned sporting event starting in the 2026-2027 school year.
West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission
The commission is required to recognize and oversee women's wrestling as a sanctioned sporting event beginning in the 2026-2027 school year.
county boards of education
County boards must incorporate the newly sanctioned sport into their supervised interscholastic athletic offerings for secondary schools.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does women's wrestling officially become a sanctioned sport under this bill?
Which schools are required to include women's wrestling as a sanctioned event?
Who oversees interscholastic athletic events for secondary schools in the state?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · in House committee.
Procedural history
6 actions- Feb 17, 2026HouseCommitteeTo House Education
- Jan 30, 2026HouseCommitteeTo House Public Education
- Jan 26, 2026HouseCommitteeTo House Education
- Jan 26, 2026HouseIntroducedIntroduced in House
- Jan 26, 2026HouseCommitteeTo Education
- Jan 26, 2026HouseIntroducedFiled for introduction
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Inclusion of Charter Schools in Athletic Mandates
The legislation explicitly extends the sanctioning requirement to public charter schools alongside traditional public high schools.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.wvlegislature.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 60)
- Controversy15Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz35Current news / social attention level
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