Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signs bill setting restrictions on transgender athletes in college sports

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed legislation Thursday that will prohibit transgender women from competing in women’s collegiate athletics.

The measure adds to a 2021 Texas law that requires public school teams through high school “to be designated by students’ sex assigned at birth.” 

Senate Bill 15, called the “Save Women’s Sports Act,” says intercollegiate athletes must participate on teams based on their biological sex or what is “correctly” on the student’s birth certificate. 

“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, in Austin. 

“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.

The law becomes effective Sept. 1 at the earliest. 

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The legislation also says the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board will be adopting rules to put the act into effect, making sure state and federal law “regarding the confidentiality of student medical information” is ensured. 

“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. 

That suggests Texas college students will have a clear path to suing their schools if transgender athletes violate the law.

During a signing ceremony Thursday, Abbott referred to transgender women and girls as “men” in his speech. 

“The Save Women’s Sports Act protects young women at Texas colleges and universities by prohibiting men from competing on a team or as an individual against them in college sports,” he said, via The Hill. 

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The NCAA had a policy that allowed transgender women to compete on female sports teams. However, it made a change last year that has participation determined differently by sport. 

NCAA swimming witnessed perhaps the most notable story of transgender women in college sports when Penn’s Lia Thomas won an NCAA national championship in the 500-yard freestyle in March 2022. She became the first openly transgender athlete to win a Division I title, and it was met with backlash. 

Riley Gaines, who swam for Kentucky, earning All-American honors 12 times, has been vocal about competing against Thomas and how Thomas had an advantage over her because Thomas was born a male. 

Gaines and Thomas have both pushed their own agendas regarding transgender women in sports since their collegiate days ended. 

Texas is among 22 states to have passed laws preventing transgender athletes from competing in sports based on their gender identity, according to the Movement Advancement Project.