House Education Committee votes to rerefer Senate Bill 9 to Health Committee; motion passes 14-12

The House Education Committee voted to rerefer Senate Bill 9 (printer's no. 177) to the House Health Committee after a roll call that ended 14-12 in favor of the motion. Representative Isaacson moved to rerefer the bill and Representative Probst seconded the motion. The meeting was a voting session and members were instructed that debate must be limited to the motion to rerefer, not the underlying legislation.

Representative Gleim opposed the rereferral, saying the senators who prime-sponsored the bill were not present and that rereferring would "silenc[e] the voices of countless women and girls who compete in sports in Pennsylvania." Gleim added the committee should not "be rereferring this bill and this committee for several reasons."

Representative D'Orsay said a vote to rerefer "[is] delaying justice for girls" and argued the motion would prioritize "the delusions of some over the privacy, safety, and welfare of millions of girls in the Commonwealth." Representative Anderson, citing decades of experience working with youth athletes, urged a no vote and said the motion would "rob all of those young ladies of what they've worked for their entire life." Several other members, including Mackenzie, Cooper and Schlegel, likewise said they opposed rereferring the bill and argued it belonged in the Education Committee.

A member of committee leadership explained the rationale for the motion, saying discussions with the majority chair of the Health Committee indicated Health would be a more appropriate forum to consider the legislation. Representative Cutler provided procedural context, noting Representative Gleim had indicated an intent to file a discharge resolution (HR 281) that, if successful, would force a floor vote because House rules allow a discharge resolution when a bill has been in committee more than 15 legislative days and 25 members sign the petition. Cutler said rereferring the bill would restart the 15-day period and further delay consideration.

Representative Kozak argued members should "follow the science and trust biological reality," and Representative Watra, speaking as a father, said allowing biological males to play on female teams could create "inequity as well as potentially unsafe situations for all female athletes." Representative Shalaba criticized the decision as "strategic manipulation of rules." The chair repeatedly reminded members debate must address only the motion to rerefer, not the bill's merits.

On the roll call, the clerk announced the ayes were 14 and the nays were 12; the chair announced the motion to rerefer had passed. Senate Bill 9 will be rereferred to the House Health Committee. The chair adjourned the voting meeting.