Senate Bill S460

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S460

SPONSOR: RHOADS
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the education law, in relation to prohibiting the
department from promulgating certain rules and regulations concerning
biologically male students at birth participating on teams organized for
females

 
PURPOSE:

Prohibits the commissioner from promulgating any rules or regulations
which prevent schools from disallowing biological male students at birth
to participate on a team organized for females.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1. Section 305 of the education law is amended by adding a new
subdivision 62 to read as follows:  62. The commissioner shall be
prohibited from promulgating any rules or regulations which prevent
schools which offer interschool athletic competition from disallowing
              

biologically male students at birth to participate on a team of organ-
ized for females where a school determines that such biological male
student's participation would have an adverse effect on the physical or
emotional safety of female participants.

2. This ach shall take effect immediately.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

The commissioner of the Department of Education should not have the
authority to dictate to school districts which students may participate
in their sports teams. The decision of whether biologically male
students should be allowed to play on female sports teams should be made
by the individual school district, not the commissioner.

Allowing biological males to participate and compete on teams designated
for biological women may create an unfair competitive advantage while
threatening the physical safety of biological female participants and
the integrity of women's sports. It is a scientific fact that physiolog-
ical differences between biological men and women in terms of testoster-
one levels leads to biological men being able to perform with greater
speeds and power during physical activity.

Schools and parents know what is best for their students. Power should
be granted to individual school districts to determine for themselves
the level in which biological male students can participate in their
sports teams to prevent unfair advantages and protect female sports.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This ach shall take effect immediately.