HCSHB183--STUDENTATHLETES
SPONSOR: Burger
COMMITTEEACTION:Voted"DoPasswithHCS"bytheStanding
CommitteeonGeneralLawsbyavoteof9to5.
ThefollowingisasummaryoftheHouseCommitteeSubstituteforHB
183.
Thisbilldefines"sex"as,thetwomaincategoriesofmaleand
femaleintowhichindividualsaredividedbasedonanindividual's
reproductivebiologyatbirthandtheindividual'sgenome.
Thebillprohibitspublicschooldistrictsandcharterschoolsfrom
allowingstudentsgradesixto12andpublicandprivate
postsecondaryeducationalinstitutionsfromallowinganystudentto
competeinanathleticscompetitiondesignatedfortheopposite
sex,asdeterminedbythestudent'sofficialbirthcertificate,or
ifunobtainable,anothergovernmentrecord.However,afemale
studentmaybeallowedtocompeteinanathleticscompetition
designatedformalestudentsifthereisnosuchathletics
competitionforfemalestudentsoffered. Thebillclarifiesthat
biologicalsexisonlycorrectlystatedonbirthcertificatesifit
wasenteredatornearthetimeofbirthormodifiedtocorrect
scrivener'serror.
Nopublicschoolshallbeamemberofanystatewideathletic
organization,andshallnotcompeteinathleticeventswitha
privateorparochialschool,thatdoesnothaveapolicythatis
substantiallysimilartotheprovisionsofthisbill.No
postsecondaryeducationalinstitutionshallallowastudentto
competeinanathleticscompetitionofanyintercollegiate
associationthatdoesnothaveapolicythatissubstantially
similartotheprovisionsofthisbill.
Ineachschoolyearaschooldistrict,charterschool,orprivate
schoolviolatestheprovisionsofthisbill,theDepartmentof
ElementaryandSecondaryEducationshallwithholdapercentageof
anymonthlydistributionofstateformulafundingandanyother
revenuesfromthestatethataredistributed,asdescribedinthe
bill.
Ineachfiscalyearapublicpostsecondaryeducationalinstitution
violatestheprovisionofthebill,thatinstitutionshallremita
fineinanamountofthepostsecondaryinstitution’scurrentfiscal
yearstateoperatingappropriation, asdescribedinthebill.In
eachfiscalyearaprivatepostsecondaryeducationalinstitution
violatestheprovisionofthebill,thatinstitutionshallbefined upto$1millionasdeterminedbytheCoordinatingBoardofHigher
Education.
Thefollowingisasummaryofthepublictestimonyfromthe
committeehearing. Thetestimonywasbasedontheintroduced
versionofthebill.
PROPONENTS: Supporterssaythatthisbillisamatteroffairness
incompetitionandopportunityforfemalestudentathletes. There
havebeenrecentexamplesofbiologicalmalescompetingand
succeedingagainstbiologicalwomen.Thisleadstoathletic
opportunitiesbeingunfairlytakenaway.Severalotherstateshave
alreadypassedsimilarlegislationtopreservewomen’ssports.
Thisbilldoesnotprohibitanyonefromcompeting,onlyensuring
biologicalgirlsandwomenhavefairaccesstoopportunitiesfor
athleticparticipationandscholarships,promotingfaircompetition
forall.Currentpoliciesofsportsgoverningbodiesarefailing
toprovidefaircompetitionandensureadequateprotectionsfor
femaleathletes. Thisbillfurtherstheprotectionsestablishedby
TitleIX.Further,proponentssaythisbillpromotessafety
amongstcompetitors. Allowingbiologicalmalestocompeteonteams
forbiologicalgirlsandwomenschangestheunderlyingrulesand
intentionsofthesport.
TestifyinginpersonforthebillwereRepresentative Burger;
TheresaCollins;JayAshcroft;NancyDeclour;CynthiaL.Jones;
ConcernedWomenForAmericaOfMissouri;andRachlAguirre.
OPPONENTS: Thosewhoopposethebillsaythatsportsgoverning
bodiesatthestate,national,andinternationallevelhavealready
appropriatelyaddressedandcontinuetoaddressthisissue.These
bodieshavepromulgatedrulesforcontrollingtransgenderathlete
competition. Thisbilldoesnotprotectwomenparticipatingin
sportsortheiropportunities. Instead,itmerelydiscriminates.
Opponentssaythatsupportersofthisbillhavenotdoneenough
researchorduediligenceonthistopicorhavetakenthetimeto
reachouttopeoplepersonallyaffectedbythislegislation.
Sportsisabouttheopportunitytoplay,grow,experiencedifferent
values,andenjoydevelopmentalopportunities. Thisbillis
politicallymotivatedandtakesawaytheseimportantaspectsof
sportsfromanalreadyat-riskgroupofstudents. Further,this
billraisesfundingimplications. Businessesmayleavethestate
andothereconomicopportunitiesmaybelostifthisbillwereto
becomelaw.Itisnotthegovernment’sroletointrude,andthis
billwillinflictgreaterharmonthetransgendercommunitywithout
preservingorprotectingtheintegrityofsports.
TestifyinginpersonagainstthebillwereJenniferHarper;Patrick
ThomasMann;ProChoiceMissouri;AdvocatesofPlannedParenthood ofyheSt.LouisRegionandSouthwestMissouri;DebiJackson;Kerri
Schafer;Rev.MikeAngell;MissouriNEA;JusticeHorn;Quinton
Lucas;CityofKansasCity;GreaterKansasCityChamberof
Commerce;RoriPickerNeiss;AshleyQuinn;AshleyQuinn,National
AvenueChristianChurch;NationalAssociationofSocialWorkers-
MissouriChapter;DakotaAllen;DanNeiss;JacqueBardgett,Mayor
Jones,CityOfSt.Louis;JenniferHarrisDault;NathanOrr;Neon
Liebson;RoriPickerNeiss,JewishCommunityRelationsCouncil;
RusselNeiss;StrubyKStruble;TomJackson;AnneLieberman,
AthleteAlly;BrandonBoulware;ConnorThompson;ChristineHyman;
CoreyHyman;DanielleMeert;JamesThurow;JamieCayley;Lori
Lindsey;LukeJames;PamBoteler,WomenCanInternational/Former
TeamUSA;SusanHalla,Transparent;andDeanAndersen.
Writtentestimonyhasbeensubmittedforthisbill.Thefull
writtentestimonyandwitnessestestifyingonlinecanbefound
underTestimonyonthebillpageontheHousewebsite.