SF3979

Purpose

• The bill aims to preserve girls' sports in school settings by limiting participation on female-designated teams to those who were biological females at birth.

Main Provisions

• Adds a new subdivision to Minnesota Statutes 121A.04 to govern school-sponsored athletic teams.
• Requires interscholastic, intramural, or club athletic teams to be expressly designated into one of three categories: males, females, or coeducational, based on the biological sex of team members at birth.
• Stipulates, notwithstanding any law to the contrary, that membership on teams designated for females must only include participants who were biological females at birth.

Changes to Existing Law

• Creates a clear, birth-sex-based framework for how teams are categorized (male, female, or coeducational) and who may participate on female-designated teams.

Practical Impact

• This provision would restrict participation on female-designated teams to individuals born female, potentially affecting eligibility for transgender girls or other athletes whose current gender identity differs from their birth sex.
• Applies to a broad range of school-affiliated athletic activities, including interscholastic, intramural, and club teams.

Summary Statement

• The bill enacts a birth-sex-based design for school sports teams and restricts female-designated teams to participants who were biological females at birth, overriding other conflicting rules.

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Relevant Terms biological sex at birth birth sex males females coeducational female-designated teams intercollegiate/interscholastic intramural club athletic team participants who were biological females at birth