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Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2025 - 2026
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | December 2, 2024 10:09 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Senator Judy Ward and Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill, Sen. Kim L. Ward, Sen. Lisa Baker, Sen. Michele Brooks, Sen. Camera Bartolotta, Sen. Tracy Pennycuick, Sen. Rosemary M. Brown, Sen. Lynda Schlegel Culver, Sen. Dawn W. Keefer |
| To: | All Senate members |
| Subject: | Save Women’s Sports Act |
| To ensure that female students compete in high school and college sports on a level playing field, we are introducing the Save Women’s Sports Act which was Senate Bill 1191 of the 2021-2022 legislative session. This bill will preserve the increased athletic opportunities that female students have gained over the past half century in this country. Under this legislation, school athletic teams designated for women may not be open to those of the male sex. The legislation defines “sex” as the biological distinction between male and female, based on reproductive biology and genetic make-up. It’s imperative that we protect the opportunity for female athletes to compete on the athletic field in a fair and equal manner. Allowing a biological male to compete on a women’s scholastic athletic team puts all women on the playing field at an automatic disadvantage. Maintaining separate, biologically specific teams will ensure opportunities for women athletes, while fulfilling the goals of Title IX. Title IX was designed to end discrimination and create equal athletic opportunities for women. Allowing biological males to compete in women’s sports threatens to undo the progress we’ve witnessed since the enactment of Title IX. Athletic competitions give women the opportunity to demonstrate their strength and skill, while also providing opportunities for recognition ranging from accolades to college scholarships. By opening women’s sports to includes males, we take away those opportunities from our women and girls who have worked tirelessly to achieve the equality they deserve. This legislation has strong bipartisan support. Outgoing Democratic U.S. Senator Bob Casey and newly elected Republican U.S. Senator Dave McCormick aired advertisements across the Commonwealth stating their support to also protect women’s sports. Please join us in cosponsoring this important piece of legislation to protect our girls. |