To modify eligibility requirements for amateur sports governing organizations.
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
IntroducedMr. Steube (for himself, Mr. Clyde, Mr. LaMalfa, Mr. Haridopolos, …
Summary
What This Bill Does
This bill changes federal law to define "male" and "female" based solely on reproductive biology and requires amateur sports organizations to ban people assigned male at birth from competing in women'''s sports categories. The bill amends Title 36 of the U.S. Code, which governs amateur athletic organizations that receive federal recognition, including the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee and national sports governing bodies like USA Swimming and USA Track & Field.
Who Benefits and How
Female athletes who support biological sex-based competition categories would benefit from having a federal law that restricts competition based on sex assigned at birth. Amateur sports organizations that prefer clear-cut eligibility rules may find this federal mandate simplifies their policy decisions, though it also removes their flexibility. Legal advocacy organizations on both sides of the transgender rights debate would likely see increased demand for their services as this law would almost certainly generate lawsuits over civil rights, equal protection, and Title IX.
Who Bears the Burden and How
Transgender women (people assigned male at birth who identify as female) would be completely prohibited from participating in women'''s amateur sports under federally recognized organizations, eliminating their competitive opportunities. Amateur sports governing bodies like the USOPC and national governing bodies would face increased compliance burdens, needing to implement and enforce these sex-based restrictions or risk losing federal recognition. Athletes with differences of sexual development (intersex individuals) may also face barriers depending on how their biology is classified under these definitions. Sports medicine providers and gender identity healthcare professionals may face ethical conflicts if required to verify athletes''' biological sex.
Key Provisions
- Adds legal definitions of "male," "female," and "sex" to Title 36 USC, defining sex as binary and based on reproductive systems (produces eggs = female, produces sperm = male)
- Includes exception language for "developmental or genetic anomaly or historical accident" but does not specify how this applies
- Requires amateur sports organizations to prohibit males from participating in competitions designated for "females, women, or girls" as a condition for federal recognition
- Applies to all amateur athletic organizations under Title 36 USC Chapter 2205, including the U.S. Olympic Committee and national governing bodies for individual sports
- Does not affect professional sports, only amateur athletics under federal jurisdiction
Evidence Chain:
This summary is derived from the structured analysis below. See "Detailed Analysis" for per-title beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
Primary Purpose
Amends Title 36 USC to define sex as binary (male/female) and prohibit males from participating in female amateur athletic competitions.
Policy Domains
Legislative Strategy
"Codify binary sex definitions in federal law governing amateur sports organizations and mandate sex-based eligibility restrictions for female competitions"
Likely Beneficiaries
- Female athletes in amateur sports who support biological sex-based competition categories
- Amateur sports organizations seeking federal mandate for sex-based eligibility rules
Likely Burden Bearers
- Transgender female athletes (individuals assigned male at birth who identify as female)
- Amateur sports governing bodies that currently allow transgender participation in female competitions
- Athletes with differences of sexual development (DSD) who may not fit binary definitions
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "amateur_sports_organizations"
- → National and local amateur sports governing bodies under 36 USC Chapter 2205
Note: The bill amends two different sections of Title 36 USC (220501 and 220522) with identical definitions of 'male', 'female', and 'sex', creating potential redundancy.
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
An individual who has, had, will have—or would have, but for a developmental or genetic anomaly or historical accident—the reproductive system that at some point produces, transports, and utilizes eggs for fertilization.
An individual who has, had, will have—or would have, but for a developmental or genetic anomaly or historical accident—the reproductive system that at some point produces, transports, and utilizes sperm for fertilization.
An individual's biological sex, either male or female.
An individual who has, had, will have—or would have, but for a developmental or genetic anomaly or historical accident—the reproductive system that at some point produces, transports, and utilizes eggs for fertilization.
An individual who has, had, will have—or would have, but for a developmental or genetic anomaly or historical accident—the reproductive system that at some point produces, transports, and utilizes sperm for fertilization.
An individual's biological sex, either male or female.
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology