RICHMOND-- Legislation that would let home-schooled Virginia children play on varsity teams of public schools they don't attend has won final House passage.
The `Tim Tebow bill' cleared the House and advances to the Senate after a 59-39 vote Wednesday.
After the vote, the bill's sponsor, Albemarle Republican Del. Rob Bell, took to the House's center aisle and "Tebowed," striking the prayerful, one-knee touchdown celebration made famous by the Denver Broncos quarterback whose name the measure borrows.
Tebow played on public high school teams as a Florida homeschooler before winning a Heisman Trophy and leading the University of Florida to the 2008 national college football championship.
Opponents say it subjects public school student-athletes to rigorous academic and class attendance standards that can't be monitored or don't apply to homeschoolers.
AP-WF-02-08-12 2135GMT
