HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) – The Pennsylvania State Senate on Wednesday passed a bill requiring public schools and colleges to designate sports teams based on biological sex.
The bill would require public schools and colleges to label sports teams as male, female, or coed, and require that only biological females can join teams designated for women.
Thanks for signing up!
Watch for us in your inbox.
Subscribe Now
The Republican-controlled State Senate passed the bill 30-17, with four Democrats joining the Republicans to pass the bill. Three lawmakers were not present for the vote.
“The Save Women’s Sports Act is about ensuring that female athletes have a level playing field and that the progress made throughout the past decades in women’s athletics is protected,” State Sen. Judy Ward (R) said. “While House Democrats continue to play partisan politics instead of protecting the women of this commonwealth, Senate Republicans stand ready to provide every female athlete the opportunity they have fought so hard to achieve.”
Lawmakers cited biological advantages for biological men and the International Olympic Committee’s recent guidance that barred transgender women from participating in female events.
“Fairness in women’s sports should never be up for debate or subject to change with shifting federal guidance,” State Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill (R) said. “I want to thank Sen. Judy Ward for her leadership as we have continued to work together in championing this issue. The Senate has acted in a bipartisan way to ensure that in Pennsylvania, equal opportunity for female athletes is not temporary. It is guaranteed.”
The legislation now moves to the Democrat-controlled State House, where similar legislation has not passed.
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27.