This week, the state of Texas made a major move against transgender athletes this week as Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed legislation Thursday that will prohibit transgender women from competing in women’s collegiate athletic events with public institutions in the state.
Senate Bill 15, called the “Save Women’s Sports Act,” will add to the Texas’ legislation against transgender athletes. The state already has a 2021 law on the books requiring all public school teams through high school “to be designated by students’ sex assigned at birth.”
“Today is an important day for female athletes across the state of Texas, including little girls who aspire to one day compete in college sports,” Abbott said Thursday, via The Hill
“This Act applies to any intercollegiate athletic competition sponsored or authorized by a public institution of higher education that occurs on or after the effective date of this Act,” the legislation states, according to Fox News.
The legislation also protects those reporting violations of this law.
“An institution of higher education or an intercollegiate athletic team … may not retaliate against a person for reporting a violation of this section,” the bill states.
After Abbott’s signature, the bill will become a law, but it will go into effect no earlier than Sept. 1.
