CHARLESTON — On Tuesday, the West Virginia State Senate passed SB 131, titled the Tim Tebow Act. The purpose of this bill is to allow home-schooled students the ability to play on public school sports teams. The bill was named after professional football star Tim Tebow, who played for private and public schools as a home-schooler and was later drafted by the NFL. Such bills have gained traction across the United States with 10 states adopting the policy.
Sen. Bill Hamilton (R-11) joined Democratic Minority Leader Sen. Roman Prezioso (D-13) in a small group of 9 senators opposing the bipartisan bill.
Proponents of the “Tim Tebow” bill express that parents of home-schooled students pay property taxes, just as the parents of public school students. Therefore, they argue their children should have access to the same opportunities as students enrolled in public schools. Furthermore, they believe home-schooled students should have the ability to play sports, so can have the chance to earn a college scholarship based on their athletic abilities.
Opponents of the bill claim that home-schooled students should not have the opportunity to play in public school sports. They argue that school teams are not community teams. Therefore, they should bar non-students.
SB 131 passed 24 to 9.