Sen. Tuberville Reintroduces Bill to Ban Transgender Athletes in Women’s Sports

The Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act is set for a floor vote in the newly Republican-led Senate.

The bill, first introduced by Sen. Tommy Tuberville in 2023, seeks to restrict participation in women’s and girls’ sports to individuals assigned female at birth.
The legislation defines sex based solely on reproductive biology and genetics at birth and would cut federal funding for programs that allow transgender women and girls to compete in women’s sports.
The Biden administration had previously attempted to expand Title IX protections to include gender identity, but the proposed rule was withdrawn after legal challenges and Republican opposition.
With a Republican majority in the Senate, the bill is expected to receive a floor vote, though it will require 60 votes to overcome a filibuster, necessitating some Democratic support.
Polling cited by proponents of the bill suggests broad public opposition to transgender women competing in women’s sports, framing the vote as a test of lawmakers’ alignment with their constituents.