The U.S. House of Representatives passed its version of a Senate bill proposed by U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn), which would prevent the U.S. Department of Education (DoE) from bringing into effect a rule that would force schools to allow biological males in women’s sports.
The DoE proposed such a rule on April 6.
The DoE rule has garnered the support of former transgender collegiate swimmer Lia Thomas, a male who won an NCAA Division I female swimming national championship. Another former collegiate swimmer, Riley Gaines, a female, has been critical of the rule.
U.S. Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.) introduced the bill to the House, naming it the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act (PWGPA). The Republican-controlled House passed the bill along party lines on Thursday.
Tuberville’s version of the bill has an uphill battle in the Democrat-controlled Senate due to the ability of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) to decide whether or not to consider the bill.
“Throughout my coaching career, I saw the incomparable success of Title IX and the educational and personal opportunities sports have provided to millions of female athletes,” Tuberville said in a statement on Thursday. “For more than 50 years, this law has empowered young women to grow personally, compete professionally, and receive scholarships to further their education. The positive impacts of a fair playing field in women’s sports are unmatched, but the Biden administration is forcing female athletes to the sidelines by allowing biological males to compete where they do not belong. It’s unfair, it’s unsafe, and it’s wrong. We cannot stand by and let girls and women in sports lose to the radical left’s agenda.”
State Rep. Susan DuBose (R-Hoover) also introduced legislation in the Alabama House of Representatives to require all public colleges and universities to prohibit biological males from participating in athletic programs designated for females. The bill would also keep biological females from competing in male-designated sports.
DuBose’s bill cleared the House on Monday.
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