Committee approves bill restricting participation of males in female sports, creating private-right pathway and complaint process

The Education Committee voted to pass Senate Bill 1 (LC492383S), identified in the substitute as the Riley Gaines Act of 2025, which would limit participation in female-designated athletic competitions to persons the bill defines as female based on observation or clinical verification at birth. The bill passed the committee after sponsor remarks, floor debate and an extended public-comment period featuring both pro- and anti-positions.

Senator Greg Dolezal, the bill sponsor, said the measure "creates a boundary around female sport to prevent the inclusion of male advantage in female sport," and described the bill as focused on athletic competition while noting it adopts house language on certain caveats for trainers, coaches and facilities. The substitute includes a complaint process that uses existing school procedures for…