Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2025
This bill generally prohibits school athletic programs from allowing individuals whose biological sex at birth was male to participate in programs that are for women or girls.
Specifically, the bill provides that it is a violation of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 for federally funded education programs or activities to operate, sponsor, or facilitate athletic programs or activities that allow individuals of the male sex to participate in programs or activities that are designated for women or girls. (Title IX prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in federally funded education programs or activities, including in public elementary and secondary schools and in colleges and universities.) Under the bill, sex is based on an individual's reproductive biology and genetics at birth.
The bill does not prohibit male individuals from training or practicing with programs or activities for women or girls as long as such training or practice does not deprive any female of corresponding opportunities or benefits.
The Government Accountability Office must report on the benefits for women or girls in single-sex sports that would be lost as a result of male participation. In particular, the report must document the negative psychological, developmental, participatory, and sociological effects of male participation on girls.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 28 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 28
To amend the Education Amendments of 1972 to provide that for purposes
of determining compliance with title IX of such Act in athletics, sex
shall be recognized based solely on a person's reproductive biology and
genetics at birth.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 3, 2025
Mr. Steube (for himself, Mr. Walberg, Mr. Estes, Mrs. Houchin, Mr.
Finstad, Mr. Higgins of Louisiana, Mr. Fulcher, Ms. Mace, Mr. Ogles,
Ms. Hageman, Mr. Bilirakis, Mr. Crenshaw, Mr. Gooden, Mr. Meuser, Mr.
Johnson of South Dakota, Mr. Brecheen, Mr. Stauber, Mr. Owens, Mr.
Ciscomani, Ms. Foxx, Mr. Ezell, Mr. Weber of Texas, Mrs. Cammack, Mr.
Self, Mr. Biggs of Arizona, Mr. Babin, Mr. Nehls, Mr. Fleischmann, Mr.
Kustoff, Mr. Bost, Mr. Fitzgerald, Mr. McCormick, Mr. Aderholt, Mr.
Guest, Mr. Feenstra, Mr. Webster of Florida, Mr. Davidson, Mr. Ellzey,
Mr. Austin Scott of Georgia, Mr. Bean of Florida, Mr. Green of
Tennessee, Mr. Zinke, Mr. Arrington, Mr. Smith of New Jersey, Mr.
Comer, Mr. Hudson, Mrs. Miller of Illinois, Mrs. Miller of West
Virginia, Mr. Huizenga, Mr. Moore of West Virginia, Mrs. Biggs of South
Carolina, Mr. Crank, Mr. Buchanan, Mr. Scott Franklin of Florida, Ms.
De La Cruz, Mr. Smith of Missouri, and Mr. Burlison) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and
Workforce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Education Amendments of 1972 to provide that for purposes
of determining compliance with title IX of such Act in athletics, sex
shall be recognized based solely on a person's reproductive biology and
genetics at birth.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Protection of Women and Girls in
Sports Act of 2025''.
SEC. 2. AMENDMENT.
Section 901 of the Education Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C. 1681) is
amended by adding at the end the following:
``(d)(1) It shall be a violation of subsection (a) for a recipient
of Federal financial assistance who operates, sponsors, or facilitates
an athletic program or activity to permit a person whose sex is male to
participate in an athletic program or activity that is designated for
women or girls.
``(2) For the purposes of this subsection, sex shall be recognized
based solely on a person's reproductive biology and genetics at birth.
``(3) For the purposes of this subsection, the term `athletic
programs and activities' includes, but is not limited to, all programs
or activities that are provided conditional upon participation with any
athletic team.
``(4) Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to prohibit a
recipient from permitting males to train or practice with an athletic
program or activity that is designated for women or girls so long as no
female is deprived of a roster spot on a team or sport, opportunity to
participate in a practice or competition, scholarship, admission to an
educational institution, or any other benefit that accompanies
participating in the athletic program or activity.
``(5) The Comptroller General shall carry out a study to determine
the meaning of the phrase `any other benefit' as used in paragraph (4)
by looking at benefits to women or girls of participating in single sex
sports that would be lost by allowing males to participate. The study
shall document the adverse psychological, developmental, participatory,
and sociological results to girls of allowing males to compete, be
members of a sports team, or participants in athletic programs, that
are designed for girls, including displacement or discouragement from
sports participation, deprivation of a roster spot on a team or sport,
loss of the opportunity to participate in a practice or competition,
loss of a scholarship or scholarship opportunities, loss or
displacement of admission to an educational institution, deprivation of
the benefit of an environment free of hostility based on sexual assault
or harassment, or loss of any other benefit that accompanies
participating in the athletics program or activity. Further, the
Comptroller General shall submit to the Committee on Education and
Workforce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Health,
Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate a report that contains the
results of such study.''.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 5. (consideration: CR H126-138)
DEBATE - The House proceeded with one hour of debate on H.R. 28.
The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule.
Ms. Adams moved to recommit to the Committee on Education and Workforce. (text: CR H137)
The previous question on the motion to recommit was ordered pursuant to clause 2(b) of rule XIX.
POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on H.R. 28, the Chair put the question on the motion to recommit and announced that the noes had prevailed. Ms. Adams demanded the yeas and nays and the Chair postponed further proceedings until a time to be announced.
Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H139-140)
On motion to recommit Failed by the Yeas and Nays: 208 - 218 (Roll no. 11).
Roll Call #11 (House)Llama 3.2 · runs locally in your browser
Ask anything about this bill. The AI reads the full text to answer.
Enter to send · Shift+Enter for new line
Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 218 - 206, 1 Present (Roll no. 12). (text: CR H126)
Roll Call #12 (House)On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 218 - 206, 1 Present (Roll no. 12). (text: CR H126)
Roll Call #12 (House)Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
Received in the Senate.