HARRISBURG – Sen. Judy Ward (R-30) announced today that the Senate Education Committee has approved legislation to ensure athletic teams in public educational institutions are designated based on biological sex, thereby preserving fairness and opportunities for female athletes.
Since 2020 in Pennsylvania, 37 female athletes have lost first place, and another 13 lost second or third place. Overall, this has happened over 100 times across track, swimming, fencing and more in that time frame.
According to the American College of Sports Medicine, males, on average, have larger hearts, more muscle, less percentage body fat, and use energy more efficiently. This means that for athletic events relying on endurance, strength, speed, and power, males usually outperform females by 10%–30% depending on the sport.
Senate Bill 9, known as the Save Women’s Sports Act, would require public schools and colleges to label sports teams as male, female or coed. The legislation states that only biological females can join teams designated for women. The bill would also allow students to take legal action if they are harmed by violations of this rule.
“The passage of the Save Women’s Sports Act by the Senate Education Committee marks a significant step toward maintaining integrity and fairness in women’s sports,” said Ward. “This bill is about ensuring that female athletes have a level playing field and that the progress made throughout the past decades in women’s athletics is protected.”
Senator Ward introduced the bill alongside her female colleagues Sens. Kristin Phillips-Hill, Kim Ward, Lisa Baker, Michele Brooks, Camera Bartolotta, Tracy Pennycuick, Rosemary Brown, Lynda Schlegel Culver, and Dawn Keefer. The bill has also garnered significant support from several co-sponsors, including, Greg Rothman, Doug Mastriano, Wayne Langerholc, Scott Hutchinson, Scott Martin, Patrick Stefano, Cris Dush and Frank Farry.
The Save Women’s Sports Act now advances to the full Senate for consideration.
Residents can follow Ward on Facebook at Facebook.com/SenJudyWard and X (Twitter) @SenatorJWard for news about legislation and the 30th Senate District. Contact information for her district offices and other information can be found on her website at SenatorJudyWard.com, and constituents also can sign up for her e-newsletter at SenatorJudyWard.com/enewsletters.
Ward contact: Nathan Akers
717-787-2421