The Texas Senate has passed a bill to save girls sports and ensure that student athletes compete in events in accordance with their biological sex.

The bill, S.B. 2, was passed in a second special session of the legislature called by Governor Greg Abbott.

It was originally passed by the Senate on July 14, during a first special session called by the governor. However, it failed in the Texas House of Representatives after many House Democrats flew to Washington, D.C. in a bid to halt consideration of the bill, and other pieces of legislation.

Because the Texas House failed to pass any legislation during the first special session, Gov. Abbott called the second session, which began on August 7.

Gov. Abbott’s proclamation announcing the second special session included as a priority a bill to disallow “a student from competing in University Interscholastic League athletic competitions designated for the sex opposite to the student’s sex at birth.”

Beginning to fulfill that priority, the Save Women’s Sports bill passed 19-10 on Wednesday and is identical to S.B. 29 which failed to become law during Texas’ regular legislative session.

Jonathan Covey, Director of Policy for Texas Values, the state’s family policy council (FPC), issued a statement following the bill’s passage this week.

“The Texas Senate once again demonstrates unwavering support of important bills that protect women and girls,” Covey said. “Biological males should not be allowed to play on girls’ sports teams and take opportunities away from girls who have worked so hard to advance in their sport. This is about fairness, and when you ignore biological reality, girls get hurt.”

The text of S.B. 29 (which is identical to S.B. 2) stipulates that an interscholastic athletic team affiliated with a school district may not permit students to compete in an athletic competition contrary to the sex listed on the student’s birth certificate.

This would ensure middle and high school students compete with other students of the same biological sex.

According to Texas Values, an astounding 37 states introduced “save women’s sports” bills in just 2021 alone. Of those states, seven have passed them into law, including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi, Montana, Tennessee and West Virginia.

Should S.B. 2 become law if approved by the House of Representatives and signed by Gov. Abbott, Texas will become the eighth state to pass such a law.

Photo from Shutterstock