INTERSCHOLASTIC SPORTS; SEX                                                                   S.B. 218:

                                                                                 SUMMARY OF INTRODUCED BILL

                                                                                                         IN COMMITTEE

Senate Bill 218 (as introduced 3-10-21)

Sponsor:  Senator Lana Theis

Committee:  Education and Career Readiness

Date Completed:  5-25-21

CONTENT

The bill would amend the Revised School Code to require the board of a school district or intermediate school district (ISD) or board of directors of a public school academy (PSA) to ensure that each high school operated under the applicable board established a policy requiring a pupil's biological sex to align with the designated gender of an interscholastic athletic team.

The bill also would repeal Section 1289 of the Code. (Section 1289 requires female pupils to be allowed to compete for a position in all interscholastic athletic activities. If a school has a girls' team in an interscholastic athletic activity, she must be allowed to compete for a position on any team for that activity.)

Specifically, the board of a school district or ISD or board of directors of a PSA would have to ensure that each high school operated by the board or board of directors, as applicable, established and maintained a policy that included both of the following:

-- If the school designated a team in an interscholastic athletic activity offered to pupils enrolled at the school as a girls', women's, or female team, a requirement that each pupil who competed for a position on that team or who was selected to compete on that team would have to be female based on biological sex.

-- If the school designated a team in an interscholastic athletic activity offered to pupils enrolled at the school as a boys', men's, or male team, a requirement that each pupil who competed for a position on that team or who was selected to compete on that team would have to be male based on biological sex.

"Biological sex" would mean the physical condition of being male or female as determined by an individual's chromosomes and anatomy as identified at birth.

Proposed MCL 380.1146a                                              Legislative Analyst:  Dana Adams

FISCAL IMPACT

The bill would have no fiscal impact on State or local government.

                                                                                        Fiscal Analyst:  Cory Savino

This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.