SB 1: 'Fair and Safe Athletic Opportunities Act'; enact

Current Georgia law bars discrimination based on 'gender' in school sports and allows separate teams by sex. This bill rewrites that law (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-315) and adds a new law for colleges (O.C.G.A. § 20-3-16). It requires every school and college team to be designated male, female, or (for K-12) coed, based on biological sex as defined in the bill, not gender identity. Males could not join female-designated teams; females could join male teams only if no female team is offered in that sport. The bill also requires multiple-occupancy restrooms, locker rooms, changing areas, and overnight sleeping quarters at competitions to be assigned by sex, with limited reasonable accommodations such as single-occupancy spaces. Schools and colleges that violate these rules face investigations, corrective plans, withheld state funds, and lawsuits from students who say they were harmed, including damages and attorney's fees. The changes take effect as part of the amended code sections once the Act is signed.

• Requires local school systems, public schools, participating private schools, and colleges to designate every sports team as male, female, or (for K-12) coed, based on biological sex.
• Bars males from competing on female-designated teams in school and college sports, and limits females on male teams to cases where no female team is offered.
• Requires multiple-occupancy restrooms, changing areas, and overnight sleeping quarters at competitions to be designated for exclusive use by one sex, with limited accommodations like single-occupancy spaces.
• Bars colleges from awarding scholarships intended for female team members to male students.
• Creates a private lawsuit right for students harmed by violations, allowing money damages, attorney's fees, and court costs, and protects students from retaliation for reporting violations.
• Sets an enforcement process through the State Board of Education, including corrective plans, postseason competition bans, and withholding of state funds for noncompliant school systems or colleges.

Public school students and athletes, local school systems, participating private schools, the state's high school athletic association, University System of Georgia and Technical College System of Georgia institutions, private colleges that compete against them, coaches, and school employees responsible for handling complaints.

The bill changes who can compete on which teams and how locker rooms and overnight lodging are assigned at school and college sports events across Georgia. Schools and colleges that don't comply risk losing state funding or being barred from postseason play, and students who feel harmed gain a direct right to sue for damages.

• Section 3 rewrites O.C.G.A. § 20-2-315 to define 'male,' 'female,' and 'sex' by reproductive biology, not self-identification, and requires K-12 teams to be labeled male, female, or coed.
• Section 3 requires each school system to designate an employee to handle complaints, sets 30-day and 35-day deadlines for decisions and appeals, and allows expedited relief for anticipated violations.
• Section 3 lets the State Board of Education order corrective plans, bar postseason participation, or withhold state funds under O.C.G.A. § 20-2-186 for schools that willfully fail to comply.
• Section 3 creates a private right to sue for students harmed by violations or retaliated against for reporting them, allowing damages, attorney's fees, and costs, within a two-year filing window.
• Section 4 removes the state high school athletic association's prior option to adopt its own policy on male participation in female events, folding that requirement into the new statewide rule.
• Section 5 adds a new O.C.G.A. § 20-3-15 and § 20-3-16 applying similar team-designation, facility, and scholarship rules to Georgia state colleges and technical colleges and private schools competing against them.
• Section 5 allows withholding of state funding, including scholarships, loans, and grants, from colleges or governing bodies that violate the team-designation or facility rules.

1. 2025-07-01Effective Date
2. 2025-04-28Act 11
3. 2025-04-28Senate Date Signed by Governor (Senate)
4. 2025-04-07Senate Sent to Governor (Senate)
5. 2025-03-31Senate Agreed House Amend or Sub (Senate)
6. 2025-03-31House Passed/Adopted By Substitute (House)
7. 2025-03-31House Third Readers (House)
8. 2025-03-25House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)

• Greg Dolezal (R, SD-27)Primary sponsor
• John F. Kennedy (R, SD-18)
• Steve Gooch (R, SD-51)
• Brandon Beach (R, SD-21)
• Randy Robertson (R, SD-29)
• John Albers (R, SD-56)
• Larry Walker, III (R, SD-20)
• Ben Watson (R, SD-1)
• Kay Kirkpatrick (R, SD-32)
• Frank Ginn (R, SD-47)
• Bill Cowsert (R, SD-46)
• Russ Goodman (R, SD-8)
• Blake Tillery (R, SD-19)
• Billy Hickman (R, SD-4)
• Drew Echols (R, SD-49)
• Sam Watson (R, SD-11)
• Max Burns (R, SD-23)
• Timothy Bearden (R, SD-30)
• Brian Strickland (R, SD-42)
• Lee Anderson (R, SD-24)
• Clint Dixon (R, SD-45)
• Shawn Still (R, SD-48)
• Bo Hatchett (R, SD-50)
• Marty Harbin (R, SD-16)
• Jason Anavitarte (R, SD-31)
• Chuck Hufstetler (R, SD-52)
• Colton Moore (R, SD-53)
• Mike Hodges (R, SD-3)
• Chuck Payne (R, SD-54)
• Matt Brass (R, SD-6)
• Josh Bonner (R, HD-73)

1. FailedSenate voteFebruary 6, 2025

   19 yea, 32 nay (1 not voting, 4 excused)

   ADOPTION OF AMENDMENT #1 BY THE SENATOR FROM THE 22ND: Senate Vote #23

2. FailedSenate voteFebruary 6, 2025

   18 yea, 34 nay (0 not voting, 4 excused)

   ADOPTION OF AMENDMENT #2 BY THE SENATOR FROM THE 41ST: Senate Vote #24

3. FailedSenate voteFebruary 6, 2025

   19 yea, 33 nay (0 not voting, 4 excused)

   ADOPTION OF AMENDMENT #3 BY THE SENATOR FROM THE 44TH: Senate Vote #25

4. PassedSenate voteFebruary 6, 2025

   35 yea, 17 nay (0 not voting, 4 excused)

   PASSAGE BY SUBSTITUTE: Senate Vote #26

5. PassedHouse voteMarch 31, 2025

   100 yea, 64 nay (5 not voting, 11 excused)

   PASSAGE: House Vote #350

6. FailedSenate voteMarch 31, 2025

   17 yea, 37 nay (1 not voting, 1 excused)

   AGREE TO HOUSE SUBSTITUTE AS AMENDED: Senate Vote #372

7. PassedSenate voteMarch 31, 2025

   34 yea, 20 nay (1 not voting, 1 excused)

   AGREE TO HOUSE SUBSTITUTE: Senate Vote #373

• school sports
• transgender athletes
• Title IX
• college athletics
• locker room policy