Georgia leaders are considering a measure that would bar biological males from competing on sports teams designated for girls and women at every level.
“This is simply about fairness and commonsense,” Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns, R-Newington, said during a Tuesday news conference.
The Riley Gaines Act would mandate separate changing facilities, bathrooms and locker rooms for athletic events. Additionally, athletic scholarships designated for women could not be awarded to biological males, and private schools that compete against public schools would be required to adhere to the standards outlined in the bill.
This legislation builds off House Bill 1084, which lawmakers approved in 2022 and Republican Gov. Brian Kemp subsequently signed.
House Bill 1084 requires high schools receiving state funding to refrain from participating in or sponsoring athletic events unless the associations have an executive oversight committee. HB 1084 also allows athletic associations to adopt policies preventing male students from competing in female-designated sports, which all member schools must follow.
