Missouri 2025 Regular Session

Missouri Senate Bill SB55 Latest Draft

Bill / Introduced Version Filed 12/05/2024

                             
EXPLANATION-Matter enclosed in bold-faced brackets [thus] in this bill is not enacted 
and is intended to be omitted in the law. 
FIRST REGULAR SESSION 
SENATE BILL NO. 55 
103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY  
INTRODUCED BY SENATOR COLEMAN. 
0104S.01I 	KRISTINA MARTIN, Secretary  
AN ACT 
To repeal section 163.048, RSMo, and to enact in lieu thereof one new section relating to 
performance enhancing drugs in student athletics. 
 
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Missouri, as follows: 
     Section A.  Section 163.048, RSMo, is repealed and one new 1 
section enacted in lieu thereof, to be known as section 163.048, 2 
to read as follows:3 
    163.048.  1.  As used in this section, the following 1 
terms mean: 2 
     (1)  "Athletics", any interscholastic athletic games, 3 
contests, programs, activities, exhibitions, or other 4 
similar competitions organized and provided for students; 5 
     (2)  "Sex", the two main categories of male and female 6 
into which individuals are divided based on an individual's 7 
reproductive biology at birth and the individual's genome. 8 
     2.  (1)  The general assembly hereby finds the 9 
following: 10 
     (a)  A noticeable disparity continues between the 11 
athletics participation rates of students who are male and 12 
students who are female; and 13 
     (b)  Courts have recognized that classification by sex 14 
is the only feasible classification to promote the 15 
governmental interest of providing opportunities for 16 
athletics for females. 17   SB 55 	2 
     (2)  The general assembly hereby declares that it is 18 
the public policy of this state to further the governmental 19 
interest of ensuring that sufficient opportunities for 20 
athletics remain available for females to remedy past 21 
discrimination on the basis of sex. 22 
     3.  (1)  Except as provided under subdivision (2) of 23 
this subsection, no private school, public school district, 24 
public charter school, or public or private institution of 25 
postsecondary education shall allow any student to compete 26 
in an athletics competition that is designated for the 27 
biological sex opposite to the student's biological sex as 28 
correctly stated on the student's official birth certificate 29 
as described in subsection [4] 5 of this section or, if the 30 
student's official birth certificate is unobtainable, 31 
another government record. 32 
     (2)  A private school, public school, public charter 33 
school, or public or private institution of postsecondary 34 
education may allow a fem ale student to compete in an 35 
athletics competition that is designated for male students 36 
if no corresponding athletics competition designated for 37 
female students is offered or available. 38 
     4.  No private school, public school, public charter 39 
school, public school district, or public or private 40 
institution of postsecondary education shall be a member of, 41 
or remit any funds to, any statewide athletic activities 42 
association or national intercollegiate athletics 43 
organization that allows student athlet es to use performance 44 
enhancing drugs. 45 
     5.  For purposes of this section, a statement of a 46 
student's biological sex on the student's official birth 47 
certificate or another government record shall be deemed to 48   SB 55 	3 
have correctly stated the student's biol ogical sex only if 49 
the statement was: 50 
     (1)  Entered at or near the time of the student's 51 
birth; or 52 
     (2)  Modified to correct any scrivener's error in the 53 
student's biological sex. 54 
     [5.] 6.  A private school, public school district, 55 
public charter school, or public or private institution of 56 
postsecondary education that violates subdivision (1) of 57 
subsection 3 of this section or subsection 4 of this section  58 
shall not receive any state aid under this chapter or 59 
chapter 173 or any other reve nues from the state. 60 
     [6.] 7.  The parent or guardian of any student, or any 61 
student who is over eighteen years of age, who is deprived 62 
of an athletic opportunity as a result of a violation of 63 
this section shall have a cause of action for injunctive or  64 
other equitable relief, as well as payment of reasonable 65 
attorney's fees, costs, and expenses of the parent, 66 
guardian, or student.  The relief and remedies set forth 67 
shall not be deemed exclusive and shall be in addition to 68 
any other relief or rem edies permitted by law. 69 
     [7.] 8.  The department of elementary and secondary 70 
education and the department of higher education and 71 
workforce development shall each promulgate all necessary 72 
rules and regulations for the implementation and 73 
administration of this section.  Such rules and regulations 74 
shall ensure compliance with state and federal law regarding 75 
the confidentiality of student medical information.  Any  76 
rule or portion of a rule, as that term is defined in 77 
section 536.010, that is create d under the authority 78 
delegated in this section shall become effective only if it 79 
complies with and is subject to all of the provisions of 80   SB 55 	4 
chapter 536 and, if applicable, section 536.028.  This  81 
section and chapter 536 are nonseverable and if any of the  82 
powers vested with the general assembly pursuant to chapter 83 
536 to review, to delay the effective date, or to disapprove 84 
and annul a rule are subsequently held unconstitutional, 85 
then the grant of rulemaking authority and any rule proposed 86 
or adopted after August 28, 2023, shall be invalid and void. 87 
     [8.] 9.  The provisions of this section shall expire on 88 
August 28, 2027. 89 
     [9.] 10.  If any provision of this section or the 90 
application thereof to anyone or to any circumstance is held 91 
invalid, the remainder of this section and the application 92 
of such provisions to others or other circumstances shall 93 
not be affected thereby. 94 
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