Gov. Abbott likely to sign bill restricting transgender players on college sports teams

AUSTIN, (Nextor) – Gov. Greg Abbott will hold a bill-signing ceremony Thursday afternoon to sign a bill aimed at “protecting women’s sport,” according to an office press release.

It did not specify which bill, but it is likely that one of these bills will be included. Senate Bill 15 This prohibits college-level transgender athletes from competing on sports teams that do not match their birth-assigned biological sex.

SB 15 expands similar restrictions signed into law two years ago to apply to Kindergarten through Grade 12 athletic competition in Texas public schools.

During regular Congress, Republican women prefer bill proponent Rep. Valorie Swanson (R-Spring) He said the bill was meant to ensure fair competition for female athletes.

“This bill is not about participation. This law does not limit anyone’s opportunities,” Swanson said in May. “It is unfair for young women to see their records broken, their honors robbed, scholarships given to biological men instead of other women. is.”

During a debate in the House of Representatives in May, Rep. John Boosey (D-Austin) joined other Democrats and LGBTQ groups in arguing that the bill is harmful.

“There is no research or evidence to suggest that this is affecting access or opportunities for women in Texas,” she said. “We are wasting our time on hoaxed issues. When asked if he ever competed with transgender athletes now or in the future, he said: [Texas colleges] I said no. There are no transgender athletes in college sports. Not one. ”

The NCAA University of Texas has no reports of transgender athletes competing in any sport, much less of disqualifications from female athletes.

If Abbott signs it, SB15 will require college athletes to participate in teams that match their biological sex, regardless of their gender identity. It also allows private citizens to bring lawsuits against the university if they believe the school is breaking the law. The bill would provide whistleblower protection for those who report violations.

The governor will sign the bill at 1 p.m.

This is an ongoing report. Please check the latest information.Bill signing will be streamed on KXAN.com at 1pm Capitol Correspondent Monica Madden will post the full report on KXAN at 5pm