# West Virginia SB 657: Creating Cohen Craddock Student Athlete Safety Act West Virginia SB 657, Creating Cohen Craddock Student Athlete Safety Act, is a 2026 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Amy Grady (Republican); status failed, last action 2026-03-05 (House received Senate message) (as of 2026-11-04). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/WV-SB657-2026rs - As of: 2026-11-04 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: West Virginia SB 657 - State: West Virginia - Session: 2026 Regular Session - Title: Creating Cohen Craddock Student Athlete Safety Act - Status: failed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2026-01-29 - Last action: 2026-03-05, House received Senate message - Sponsor: Amy Grady (Republican) - Cosponsors: 6 - Subjects: §18-36-1, §18-36-2, §18-36-3, §18-36-4, §18-36-5, House Education - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 2 (66 yes, 2 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 3 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - New concussion safeguards for student athletes: benefit, low. West Virginia’s education board must set concussion rules with input from the state physical therapy board. Schools must adopt plans covering concussion education, prevention, training, and response. These plans cover school athletics, youth leagues on school grounds, and activities overseen by the… - Safety equipment grants help student athletes: benefit, low. West Virginia’s education department runs the Cohen Craddock Memorial Grant Program. Public schools and county education boards can apply to cover some or all costs of safety equipment covered by the law. Awards are first-come, first-served, with amounts set by available money; the law states no fu… - Student football players need protected helmet covers: mixed, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, middle and high school football players must use impact-reducing soft-shell helmet covers during school-organized practices. Covers must stay attached during likely collisions and practice activities where players normally wear helmets. Using a cover cannot cancel or limit a… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Amy Grady (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Trenton Barnhart (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Vince Deeds (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Mike Oliverio (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Rupie Phillips (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Eric Tarr (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Mike Woelfel (Democratic), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-03-03 | Senate | Effective July 1, 2026 (Roll No. 295) | pass | 34 | 0 | | | 2026-03-03 | Senate | Passed Senate (Roll No. 294) | pass | 32 | 2 | | ## Actions (20) - 2026-03-05: House received Senate message (House) - 2026-03-05: Introduced in House (House) - 2026-03-05: To Education then Finance (House) - 2026-03-05: To House Education (House) - 2026-03-03: On 3rd reading (Senate) - 2026-03-03: Read 3rd time (Senate) - 2026-03-03: Passed Senate (Roll No. 294) (Senate) - 2026-03-03: Effective July 1, 2026 (Roll No. 295) (Senate) - 2026-03-03: Ordered to House (Senate) - 2026-03-02: On 2nd reading (Senate) - 2026-03-02: Read 2nd time (Senate) - 2026-02-27: On 1st reading (Senate) - 2026-02-27: Read 1st time (Senate) - 2026-02-26: Com. sub. for com. sub. reported (Senate) - 2026-02-13: Committee substitute reported, but first to Finance (Senate) - 2026-02-13: To Finance (Senate) - 2026-01-29: Filed for introduction (Senate) - 2026-01-29: To Education then Finance (Senate) - 2026-01-29: Introduced in Senate (Senate) - 2026-01-29: To Education (Senate) ## Bill text - Committee Substitute: [HTML](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2026_SESSIONS/RS/bills/sb657 sub2.htm), [PDF](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2026_SESSIONS/RS/bills/sb657 sub2.pdf) - Introduced Version: [HTML](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2026_SESSIONS/RS/bills/sb657 intr.htm), [PDF](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2026_SESSIONS/RS/bills/sb657 intr.pdf) ## Related bills - HB 5694: Supplemental appropriation to Department of Education, fund 0313. (signed) - HB 5353: To bring virtual currency kiosks within the purview of money transmission licensure and create disclosure requirements and daily transaction limitations for ne… (signed) - HB 4452: To remove Mortmain restrictions on religious organizations (signed) - HB 4390: Relating to the temporary payment to a kinship parent of a subsidy equal to that of a foster parent (signed) - HB 4354: Relating to necessity allowance (signed) - HB 4191: Relating to providing child care generally (became law) ## Sources - [Committee Substitute (HTML)](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2026_SESSIONS/RS/bills/sb657 sub2.htm) - [Committee Substitute (PDF)](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2026_SESSIONS/RS/bills/sb657 sub2.pdf) - [Introduced Version (HTML)](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2026_SESSIONS/RS/bills/sb657 intr.htm) - [Introduced Version (PDF)](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2026_SESSIONS/RS/bills/sb657 intr.pdf) ## Related - [HB 5694: Supplemental appropriation to Department of Education, fund 0313.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/WV-HB5694-2026rs) - [HB 5353: To bring virtual currency kiosks within the purview of money transmission licen…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/WV-HB5353-2026rs) - [HB 4452: To remove Mortmain restrictions on religious organizations](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/WV-HB4452-2026rs) - [HB 4390: Relating to the temporary payment to a kinship parent of a subsidy equal to tha…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/WV-HB4390-2026rs) - [HB 4354: Relating to necessity allowance](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/WV-HB4354-2026rs) - [HB 4191: Relating to providing child care generally](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/WV-HB4191-2026rs) - [West Virginia bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/west-virginia/bills) - [West Virginia state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/west-virginia) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/WV-SB657-2026rs (as of 2026-11-04).