RELEASE: Texas Senate Committee Passes Save Women’s Sports Bill During Second Special Session
Austin, Texas – Today, the Texas Senate Committee on Health and Human Services heard and passed Senate Bill (S.B.) 2, the Save Women’s Sports bill, on a vote of 5-2. S.B. 2 prohibits biological males from competing in University Interscholastic League (UIL) sports for middle schools and high schools. The same Senate committee also passed S.B. 4, a bill to restrict and regulate chemical abortion drugs in the State of Texas. S.B. 4 also passed the committee 5-2.
Due to Texas House Democrats fleeing the state to avoid voting for election integrity and other issues, the first session ended without quorum in the House and Governor Abbott subsequently called a second special session on Saturday. S.B. 2 is an identical bill to S.B. 29 from the last session. Jade Dickens, a female powerlifter, and other female athletes will testify at the hearing.
Mary Elizabeth Castle, Senior Policy Advisor for Texas Values said:
“Women have worked hard for equal opportunities in so many areas of life. S.B. 2 protects fair play in girls’ sports. Allowing biological males to play on girls’ sports teams obliterates women’s sports. No girl should have to lose to a biological male playing on a women’s team.”
This bill defends the rights of women not to be forced to compete against biological males in women’s sports. Women have fought for a right to equal opportunities, including equal opportunities in sports. Title IX was designed to stop discrimination and create equal athletic opportunities for women. This bill recognizes and protects the advances that have been made in the last 50 years for women. The Texas Senate successfully passed two bills on the issue of fair play in the first special session that began July 8th.
Governor Greg Abbott announced a second Special Session after the Texas House failed to pass any legislation before the last day of the first special session. The new Special Session began on Saturday, August 7 at noon.