House passes bill to restrict transgender women in school sports

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill seeking to bar transgender women and girls from participating in school sports designated for female students, with the vote falling mostly along party lines.

The legislation, titled the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act 2025, was approved by a 218-206 vote on Tuesday. Two Democrats joined Republicans in supporting the measure, while one Democrat voted “present.”

The bill aims to amend Title IX, the federal law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in educational programs and activities, by defining sex as “based solely on a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth,” according to the legislation introduced by Republican Greg Steube.

Under this legislation, K-12 schools that allow transgender women and girls to compete on female sports teams risk losing federal funding.

The bill now moves to the Senate, where it must overcome a filibuster before proceeding to a final vote, according to CBS News. Seven Senate Democrats would need to join Republicans to support the measure.

Proponents of the bill argue that it is necessary to ensure fairness in women’s sports, while Democrats contend that enforcing the bill could result in intrusive and unreliable practices, such as verifying birth certificates, and raise concerns for intersex individuals, according to the New York Times.