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ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES57th Legislature, 2nd Regular Session |
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HCR2003: interscholastic; intramural athletics; biological sex
Sponsor: Representative Bliss, LD 1
Committee on Education
Overview
Subject to voter approval, modifies statute that requires interscholastic or intramural athletic teams or sports to be designated based on the sex of the participating athletes. Prohibits a school or athletic association that provides private spaces for athletic engagement from authorizing any individual to use a space that is not designated for the individual's sex.
History
Each interscholastic or intramural athletic team or sport that is sponsored by a public school or private school whose teams compete against a public school must be designated as male, female or coed according to the biological sex of the participating students. Athletic teams or sports designated for females may not be opened to students of the male sex. Statute does not restrict the eligibility of any student to participate in an interscholastic or intramural athletic team or sport designated as being for males or as coed. A school is either a school that provides instruction in kindergarten or the 1st-12th grades or a higher education institution.
A government entity, licensing or accrediting organization and athletic association or organization may not take adverse action against a school for maintaining separate interscholastic or intramural athletic teams or sports for students of the female sex. Statute grants a private cause of action for relief to any student who: 1) is deprived of an athletic opportunity or suffers harm due to a school knowingly violating the required designation of interscholastic or intramural teams or sports; or 2) is subject to retaliation or other adverse action by a school or an athletic association or organization due to the reporting of a violation of the required designation of interscholastic or intramural teams or sports. Any school that suffers harm due to a violation also has a private cause of action for relief (A.R.S. § 15-120.02).
Provisions
1. Modifies statute that mandates each interscholastic or intramural team be designated based on the sex of the participating athletes by requiring, beginning January 1, 2027, each school and athletic association that sponsors an interscholastic or intramural athletic team or sport to expressly designate the athletic team or sport as male, female or coeducational based on the sex of the participating athletes.
2. Prohibits a school or athletic association from opening any interscholastic or intramural athletic team or sport designated for females to athletes of the male sex.
3. States the eligibility of an athlete to participate in any interscholastic or intramural athletic team or sport is not restricted if the team or sport is aligned with the athlete's sex, rather than designated as being for males.
4. Prohibits, beginning January 1, 2027, a school or athletic association that maintains private spaces integral to athletic engagement from authorizing any individual to use a private space that is not designated for the individual's sex.
5. Restricts specified entities from taking adverse action against an athletic association for maintaining separate interscholastic or intramural athletic teams or sports for athletes of the female sex.
6. Grants a private cause of action to any athlete who is deprived of an athletic opportunity or suffers harm due to an athletic association knowingly violating statutory requirements relating to the designation of interscholastic or intramural athletic teams or sports.
7. Specifies school includes a public or private school that provides instruction in kindergarten or the 1st-12th grades.
8. Defines athlete, athletic association and sex.
9. Contains a severability clause.
10. Cites this legislation as the Protect Girls' Sports in Arizona Act.
11. Directs the Secretary of State to submit this proposition to the voters at the next general election.
12. Makes technical and conforming changes.
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Initials CH HCR 2003
1/16/2026 Page 0 Education
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