Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) recently signed a legislation known as Senate Bill 15, also referred to as the “Save Women’s Sports Act,” which prohibits transgender women and girls from participating in collegiate athletics. This law supplements a previous law enacted in 2021, requiring public school sports teams to be categorized based on students’ sex assigned at birth.
Under this new law, intercollegiate athletes in Texas must participate in sports teams that align with their “biological sex” as indicated on their original birth certificate. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board has been assigned the responsibility of implementing rules to ensure compliance with state and federal laws regarding the confidentiality of student health and medical information.
Starting in September, this law will make it easier for college students in Texas to take legal action against their schools if they allow transgender athletes to participate on teams that do not correspond with their gender identity.
Abbott argued that a separate law focusing on college-level sports was necessary in order to promote fair competition in the most competitive levels of college athletics. With the signing of this legislation, Abbott emphasized its significance for female athletes in Texas and stated that it safeguards the integrity of women’s sports in the state.
The NCAA, the governing body for college sports, has allowed transgender women and girls to compete on female teams for over a decade if they have undergone at least one year of hormone replacement therapy. However, last year, the NCAA’s board of governors adopted a new policy permitting participation on a sport-by-sport basis.
Currently, 22 states, including Texas, have passed laws preventing transgender athletes from competing on school sports teams based on their gender identity. The Movement Advancement Project, an organization that monitors LGBTQ-related legislation, reports that a similar bill has been advanced by the U.S. House in April.
In addition to this sports legislation, Abbott recently signed a bill prohibiting transgender minors from accessing gender-affirming healthcare, joining 17 other Republican governors who passed similar restrictions this year. Texas lawmakers have introduced a total of 53 bills targeting the LGBTQ community this legislative session, the highest number across all states, according to the American Civil Liberties Union.
In conclusion, Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s signing of Senate Bill 15 solidifies the state’s stance on transgender athletes in collegiate sports, reinforcing the existing laws concerning public school sports teams. This move is part of a broader wave of legislation affecting the LGBTQ community, with Texas leading in the number of bills introduced targeting LGBTQ rights this year.
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