Protection of Women in Olympic and Amateur Sports Act of 2026
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The bill would require certified national governing bodies of amateur sports, such as USA Gymnastics, to bar athletes whose sex is male from competing in athletic events designated for females, women, or girls.
It would write biology-based definitions of "male," "female," and "sex" into federal law governing amateur athletics, extending a national eligibility rule to every sport under the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act.
What this bill would do
What it would do
The bill would amend title 36 of the U.S. Code, which governs the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act, to add definitions of "female," "male," and "sex" based on reproductive biology. It would then require every amateur sports governing organization certified under that Act to prohibit any person whose sex is male, as defined, from participating in an amateur athletic competition designated for females, women, or girls. The bill applies only to organizations certified as national governing bodies under this federal statute, such as those overseeing Olympic and Paralympic sport disciplines in the United States. It does not itself create a private right of action, criminal penalty, or funding mechanism, and it does not address competitions not designated by sex.
Key provisions
- 1Would define "female," "male," and "sex" in federal amateur sports law based on reproductive biology rather than gender identity
- 2Would require certified national governing bodies to prohibit persons whose sex is male from competing in female-designated amateur athletic competitions
Who would be affected
National governing bodies for Olympic, Paralympic, and other amateur sports certified under federal law, the athletes who compete in female-designated events under those organizations, and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, which oversees certification of those bodies.
Why it matters
Governing bodies would need to adopt and enforce eligibility screening based on the bill's biological definitions or risk losing their federal certification. Athletes affected by the new eligibility rule would face exclusion from female-designated competitions, while supporters and opponents dispute the rule's fairness and scientific basis.
What would change
Changes to existing law
Amends Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act (36 U.S.C. § 220501) (Sec. 2(a))
Adds statutory definitions of "female," "male," and "sex" based on reproductive biology
Amends 36 U.S.C. § 220522 (Sec. 2(b))
Adds a new certification requirement that governing bodies bar males from female-designated competitions
Funding and costs
Congressional Budget Office estimate
CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 1028 would have no effect on the federal deficit, with zero impact on direct spending, revenues, or discretionary appropriations over the 2026–2036 period.
CBO estimates that H.R. 1028 would have no budgetary effect on the federal government — direct spending, revenues, and the deficit would all remain at zero across the 2026–2031 and 2026–2036 scoring windows. Because the bill's new requirements fall on national governing bodies (private, nonprofit sports organizations), no federal action or funding would be needed to implement them. The bill does impose a private-sector mandate under the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act — requiring national governing bodies to prohibit male-sex individuals from competing in female-designated amateur athletic competitions — but CBO estimates the cost of that mandate would not exceed the annual private-sector threshold of $214 million (in 2026, adjusted for inflation). The bill contains no intergovernmental mandates.
How implementation would work
The requirement would be enforced through the existing certification structure for national governing bodies under the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act: to remain certified, an organization must meet all listed eligibility criteria in Section 220522 of title 36, and this bill adds the male-participation prohibition as a new mandatory criterion. Organizations would need to update their eligibility rules and screening practices to comply, since the bill supplies specific biological definitions of "male," "female," and "sex" they must apply.
Legislative status & sources
Latest action
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 423.
Official CRS summary
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This bill requires certified national governing bodies (NGBs) of amateur sports (e.g., USA Gymnastics) to prohibit a person whose sex is male from participating in an amateur athletic competition that is designated for females, women, or girls.
Under the bill, male means an individual who has, had, will have—or would have, but for a developmental or genetic anomaly or historical accident—the reproductive system that at some point produces, transports, and utilizes sperm for fertilization.
Legislative subjects
Athletes; School athletics; Sex, gender, sexual orientation discrimination; Sports and Recreation
Committee report
H. Rept. 119-497