Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Utah House approves bill limiting school sports eligibility, prompting heated debate
Summary
The Utah House on Feb. 17, 2021, approved second substitute House Bill 302, aimed at restricting participation in girls’ school sports to biological females; the measure passed 50–23 after extended debate about fairness, legal risk and harms to transgender youth.
SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah House on Feb. 17 passed second substitute House Bill 302, titled “preserving sports for female students,” after a daylong debate that split lawmakers over fairness in athletics and the bill’s potential legal and social consequences.
Representative Orson Birkeland, the bill’s sponsor, said the substitute clarifies that only school districts that willfully or purposely violate existing law could be held accountable. "This substitute is a clarifier that came up in committee," Birkeland said during opening remarks, adding the intent is to protect equitable competition for female athletes.
Opponents urged lawmakers to reject the measure. Representative Carol Moss cited…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
