Minn. House Education Committee Hears Hours of Testimony on House File 12; Members Question Privacy, Enforcement

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota House Education Policy Committee spent much of its Feb. 19, 2025 meeting taking public and expert testimony on House File 12, a bill offered by Representative Scott that would define female-only school athletic teams by biological sex and add procedures for resolving disputes about a student’s sex.

The proposal, presented by Representative Scott and placed on the general register after a procedural vote adopting a DE10 amendment, drew back-to-back hours of testimony from medical experts, coaches, parents, students and civil-rights advocates. Supporters told the committee the measure is needed to protect female athletic opportunities and safety; opponents said it would single out transgender students, risk unnecessary medical examinations and invite harassment.

House File 12 would amend the state’s Chapter 121A on athletic programs and discrimination to prioritize teams restricted to “females” as biologically defined. Representative Scott framed the bill as restoring the chapter’s purpose to ensure “equal opportunity for members of each sex,” arguing that separate girls’ teams are necessary because “males have the physical advantage over girls” and that girls deserve protected spaces in athletics.

Proponents included Renee Carlson, general…