Committee advances "Riley Gaines Act" limiting participation of males in female sports amid heated public testimony

Senate Bill 1, sponsored by Senator Greg Dolezal and amended with House language, was given a do-pass recommendation after lengthy committee debate and a large public comment period that split witnesses for and against the measure.

The sponsor told the committee the substitute — which the sponsor identified as the "Riley Gaines Act of 2025" — aims to ‘‘create a boundary around female sport to prevent the inclusion of male advantage in female sport,’’ and said the measure draws from House language to define eligibility and adjudication procedures. The bill uses a definition of sex tied to observation or clinical verification at birth in its current substitute, establishes an in-school complaint and appeal process for K–12 enforcement, and provides a private right of action with a two-year…