East Idaho Times

U.S. Senators Jim Risch, Mike Crapo, and Tommy Tuberville have introduced the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act to safeguard Title IX protections for female athletes. The proposed legislation aims to counter recent rule changes by the Biden administration that they argue undermine Title IX.

Senator Risch stated, "Allowing biological males in women’s sports is unfair to the young women who compete tirelessly at every level." He emphasized the need to protect fair competition for female athletes.

Senator Crapo highlighted that female athletes have dedicated significant time and effort to excel in sports, only to face what he considers unfair competition from biological males. "Title IX was established to ensure fairness and protect opportunities for women in sports," he said.

Senator Tuberville referenced former President Trump's stance on women's sports, noting that a majority of Americans agree with preserving gender-specific competitions. "I am welcoming my first granddaughter this spring and won’t stop fighting until her rights to fairly compete are protected," Tuberville added.

The bill seeks to define gender based on reproductive biology and genetics at birth within Title IX provisions. It also proposes banning federal funding recipients from allowing males to participate in women's sporting events.

Several senators have joined as original cosponsors of the bill, including Jim Banks, John Barrasso, Marsha Blackburn, Katie Britt, Ted Budd, Shelley Moore Capito, Tom Cotton, Kevin Cramer, Steve Daines, Joni Ernst, Lindsey Graham, Bill Hagerty, Cindy Hyde-Smith, Ron Johnson, John Kennedy, James Lankford, Mike Lee, Cindy Lummis,Roger Marshall,Rand Paul,Pete Ricketts,Eric Schmitt,Rick Scott ,Tim Sheehy ,Dan Sullivan ,Thom Tillis,and Roger Wicker.