File photo Gov. Patrick Morrisey

LANSING, W.Va. – Gov. Patrick Morrisey said Tuesday he signed a bill repealing the controversial student transfer rule after high school sports regulators agreed to address the issue, but action remains on many other bills with a key deadline approaching.

Morrisey said he signed House Bill 4425, repealing the provision allowing for students to transfer from one school to another without losing athletic eligibility.

HB 4425 repeals a section of State Code requiring the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission to allow multiple transfers. Upon repeal, the SSAC, governed by member school principals and athletic directors, would be responsible for drafting a new transfer rule with approval by the state Board of Education.

Morrisey took to social media Monday night teasing acting on HB 4425, issuing a press release Tuesday morning announcing he signed the bill. Answering questions during a press conference at the New River Gorge National Park Canyon Rim Visitor Center Overlook in Fayette County, Morrisey said the SSAC had developed a new rule that would provide more flexibility for student-athlete transfers while addressing concerns that the previous law was unfair.

“After the Legislature completed their work, we had some discussions with the SSAC in terms of trying to have a little bit of more flexibility,” Morrisey said. “I think there were some people that were concerned about the SSAC just going back completely to the old rules.

“There’s been some tweaking of that language to make it a little bit more flexible,” he continued. “The hope is this new compromise is going to be very positive for communities and for high school athletics. So, we did sign that.”

Prior SSAC rules required a student transferring from one high school to another to sit out one year, though waivers could be sought. However, a Senate bill was amended in 2023 requiring the SSAC to modify rules for the 2023-24 school year to allow students to transfer schools and retain their athletic eligibility one time during a student’s four years in high school.

Since 2023, complaints have been raised about the number of lopsided scores in high school athletics. One lawmaker cited numbers showing there have been 1,261 transfers over the last three years. During the most recent high school football season, there were 647 games, with 303 requiring an early end of the game because of a disparate score.

In 2024, 41% of high school football games were shortened by the mercy rule. In 2025, this increased to 44%. Supporters believe the bill would restore fairness to high school sports across the state and limit attempts at recruiting student-athletes.

“I had received a lot of complaints about the chaos of the transfer rule in the past,” Morrisey said. “I think I’m hopeful this is going to lead to restoration of faith in high school athletics in West Virginia.”

A request for comment from the SSAC was not returned.

HB 4425 is one of the 140 bills signed by Morrisey from the 2026 regular session of the West Virginia Legislature that began on Jan. 14 and ended on March 14. According to the Legislature’s website, that leaves 164 bills awaiting the governor’s signature or veto, or that could become law without a signature by the governor.

The state Constitution gives the governor five days – not counting Sundays – to act on a bill once received during the 60-day regular session. But when the session is over, the governor has a 15-day deadline to act. This year, that deadline is midnight today – April Fool’s Day.

“It’s nice to take a little time out in the middle of bill signing to make my way over here,” Morrisey said standing in front of the Canyon Rim Visitor Center Overlook after announcing that the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve had been named the 2026 No. 1 overlooked travel destination by U.S. News and World Report.

“I’ll be going back to the Capitol a little later. We’ve got to get everything completed by tomorrow,” Morrisey continued. “We’re going to be releasing our final signatures today and (Wednesday), but I think that we’re going to be making real progress there.

Morrisey was asked by an NBC News reporter about whether he would sign House Bill 4965, relating to patient-centered treatment flexibility within the Public Employees Insurance Agency.

HB 4965 would allow patients to switch to an alternative treatment for a diagnosed condition without obtaining a new prior authorization, provided the original treatment was already approved. According to a fiscal note, PEIA estimated that full implementation of the bill would cost $13 million.

“We’re looking closely at the bill,” Morrisey said. “The first time I heard about this, I knew that we have to make a change because you have to always look to protect patients. And that’s what we try to do here in West Virginia. So, without giving everything away, I will say we’re looking very favorably toward that.”