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The House voted 218–206 to pass a bill that would prohibit transgender women and girls from participating in female sports programs at schools and colleges that receive federal funding.
H.R. 28, the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2025, seeks to amend Title IX—a federal law that bans sex-based discrimination in education. This bill would require athletic programs at federally funded institutions to determine eligibility based on biological sex assigned at birth. Under this rule, individuals whose sex is male would be barred from competing on teams designated for women or girls, though they would still be allowed to train or practice with those teams under certain conditions. This was a 'passage' vote, which is the final step the House takes to approve a bill's content. In the U.S. legislative process, a bill must pass both the House and the Senate in identical form before it can be sent to the President to be signed into law. Because this was a final-stage vote, it represents the House's official stance on the issue. The bill passed with a narrow margin, following a strict party-line split. Republicans argued the measure is necessary to preserve fairness and opportunities for biological female athletes, while Democrats generally criticized the bill as discriminatory against transgender students. The bill now moves to the Senate for further consideration.
The bill has been received in the Senate, where it will likely be referred to a committee or scheduled for a future floor vote.
OPEN BILL →Why it matters. This bill is at the center of a national debate over how federal law should treat gender identity versus biological sex in public education and sports.
Who’s affected. Transgender women and girls: Would be prohibited from participating in sports teams that align with their gender identity at any school receiving federal funds. · Cisgender women and girls: Proponents argue this ensures their roster spots, safety, and competitive fairness are protected from biological male competition. · Educational Institutions: Schools and colleges would be required to update their eligibility policies to comply with the federal definition or risk losing federal funding.
Democrats. The vast majority of the caucus voted against the bill, characterizing it as an attack on the rights of transgender youth.
Republicans. The caucus voted unanimously in favor, framing the bill as a protection for the integrity of women's sports and scholarship opportunities.
The House voted 218–206 to pass a bill that would prohibit transgender women and girls from participating in female sports programs at schools and colleges that receive federal funding.
This was a final vote in the House of Representatives to approve the bill. Passing this stage means the House has finished its work on the legislation and is sending it to the Senate for approval.
The bill has been received in the Senate, where it will likely be referred to a committee or scheduled for a future floor vote.
This bill is at the center of a national debate over how federal law should treat gender identity versus biological sex in public education and sports.
The vote was a stark party-line division; Republicans were nearly unanimous in support, while Democrats were almost entirely opposed, with only two Democrats crossing party lines to vote 'yes'.
The vast majority of the caucus voted against the bill, characterizing it as an attack on the rights of transgender youth.
The caucus voted unanimously in favor, framing the bill as a protection for the integrity of women's sports and scholarship opportunities.
The chamber's sole independent member voted in favor of the bill.