Overview

• After passing the House 87-56 and clearing the Senate on a 20-11 party-line vote, House Bill 229 now awaits Gov. Abbott’s signature and would take effect on Sept. 1, 2025 if enacted.
• The legislation defines a “woman” as someone whose biological reproductive system produces ova and a “man” as one whose system is developed to fertilize those ova.
• All state statutes would apply these definitions to vital records, requiring documents to reflect birth-assigned sex and nullifying court-ordered gender marker changes.
• Supporters argue the bill safeguards privacy and safety in single-sex spaces such as bathrooms, prisons and athletic competitions by adhering to biological criteria.
• Critics including LGBTQ+ advocates and Democratic legislators contend the law enforces discrimination against transgender and non-binary Texans by erasing their legally recognized identities.