Signed by Governor Kay Ivey

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to concur with amendments and pass a bill that prohibits transgender student athletes from playing on a public school sports team that match their birth sex.

Highlights:

• Alleges the following regarding biology and school sports (Sec. 1):

• Physical differences between biological males and biological females have long made separate and sex-specific sports teams important so that female athletes can have equal opportunities to compete in sports;

• Physical advantages for biological males relevant to sports include, on average, a larger body size with more skeletal muscle mass, a lower percentage of body fat, and greater maximal delivery of anaerobic and aerobic energy than biological females;

• Even at young ages, biological males typically score higher than biological females on cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, and speed and agility;

• Studies have shown that the benefits that natural testosterone provides to biological male athletes is not significantly diminished through the use of testosterone suppression; and

• Because of the physical differences between biological males and biological females, having separate athletic teams based on the athletes' biological sex reduces the chance of injury to biological female athletes and promotes sex equality.

• Prohibits a public K-12 school from participating in, sponsoring, or providing coaching staff for interscholastic athletic events within the state in Alabama that are either scheduled by or conducted under the authority of any athletic association of the state that permits or allows participation in athletic events within the state conducted exclusively for males by any individual who is not a biological male or participation in athletic events within the state conducted exclusively for females by any individual who is not a biological female (Sec. 2).

• Prohibits a public K-12 school from allowing a biological female to participate on a male team if there is a female team in a sport. A public K-12 school may never allow a biological male to participate on a female team (Sec. 2-2).

• Specifies this does not apply to athletic events at which both biological males and biological females are permitted or allowed to participate (Sec. 2-3).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to amend and pass a bill that prohibits transgender student athletes from playing on a public school sports team that match their birth sex.

Highlights:

• Alleges the following regarding biology and school sports (Sec. 1):

• Physical differences between biological males and biological females have long made separate and sex-specific sports teams important so that female athletes can have equal opportunities to compete in sports;

• Physical advantages for biological males relevant to sports include, on average, a larger body size with more skeletal muscle mass, a lower percentage of body fat, and greater maximal delivery of anaerobic and aerobic energy than biological females;

• Even at young ages, biological males typically score higher than biological females on cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, and speed and agility;

• Studies have shown that the benefits that natural testosterone provides to biological male athletes is not significantly diminished through the use of testosterone suppression; and

• Because of the physical differences between biological males and biological females, having separate athletic teams based on the athletes' biological sex reduces the chance of injury to biological female athletes and promotes sex equality.

• Prohibits a public K-12 school from participating in, sponsoring, or providing coaching staff for interscholastic athletic events within the state in Alabama that are either scheduled by or conducted under the authority of any athletic association of the state that permits or allows participation in athletic events within the state conducted exclusively for males by any individual who is not a biological male or participation in athletic events within the state conducted exclusively for females by any individual who is not a biological female (Sec. 2).

• Prohibits a public K-12 school from allowing a biological female to participate on a male team if there is a female team in a sport. A public K-12 school may never allow a biological male to participate on a female team (Sec. 2-2).

• Specifies this does not apply to athletic events at which both biological males and biological females are permitted or allowed to participate (Sec. 2-3).

Full Bill Text