# Plain Language Summary: Save Women's Sports Act of 2023

This bill aims to establish federal rules about who can participate in women's and girls' sports programs at schools and colleges that receive federal funding. Specifically, it would require that athletic teams designated for women must be limited to athletes whose sex is female, as determined at birth. The bill would prevent transgender women and girls from competing on women's sports teams, even if they've undergone medical transition or hormone therapy. Schools that violate these rules could lose federal education funding.

The bill affects student athletes, schools, colleges, and universities across the country. For transgender girls and women who want to participate in school sports, this would effectively bar them from competing on teams matching their gender identity. Schools would face a difficult choice: either enforce these restrictions or risk losing federal dollars that support their overall operations. The bill also creates a private right of action, meaning students who believe they've been harmed by violations could sue schools directly.

Supporters argue the bill protects fairness in women's sports by ensuring biological differences don't give some athletes unfair advantages. Opponents contend it discriminates against transgender students and removes local control from schools and sports organizations that have developed their own eligibility policies. The bill essentially takes decisions about sports participation away from individual schools, athletic conferences, and sports organizations and makes it a federal mandate backed by the threat of losing funding.

Save Women’s Sports Act of 2023

McClain, Lisa C.

Save Women’s Sports Act of 2023This bill requires intercollegiate, intramural, or club athletic teams or sports that are sponsored by a public school or a public college or university or a non-public school or institution receiving federal financial assistance to have three categories based on biological sex at birth:&nbsp;males, females, and coed. The membership of athletic teams or sports designated solely for females shall only be open to biological females at birth. All federal financial assistance shall be terminated for failure to comply.