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83rd OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2025 Regular Session
Senate Bill 618
Sponsored by Senator BONHAM (Presession filed.)
SUMMARY
The following summary is not prepared by the sponsors of the measure and is not a part of the body thereof subject
to consideration by the Legislative Assembly. It is an editor’s brief statement of the essential features of the
measure as introduced.The statement includes a measure digest written in compliance with applicable readability
standards.
Digest: The Act tells school districts to designate sports by gender. The Act forbids males from
playing in female sports.(Flesch Readability Score: 78.2).
Requires school districts to designate athletic competitions and extracurricular sports according
to biological sex. Prohibits biological males from participating in athletic competitions or extracur-
ricular sports designated for biological females.
Provides causes of action for students and school districts.
Declares an emergency, effective on passage.
A BILL FOR AN ACT
Relating to participation in athletic competitions according to biological sex; and declaring an
emergency.
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
SECTION 1. (1) Each school district shall require that every athletic competition or ex-
tracurricular sport is expressly designated by the biological sex of the students who partic-
ipate in the competition or sport as follows:
(a) “Males,” “Men” or “Boys”;
(b) “Females,” “Women” or “Girls”; or
(c) “Coed.”
(2) Students of the biologically male sex may not participate in any athletic competition
or extracurricular sport that is designated as “Females,” “Women” or “Girls” under sub-
section (1) of this section.
(3) Nothing in subsection (2) of this section restricts or prohibits any student from par-
ticipating in any athletic competition or extracurricular sport that is designated as
“Males,” “Men,” “Boys” or “Coed.”
(4) A public body, as defined in ORS 174.109, any licensing or accrediting organization or
any voluntary organization that administers interscholastic activities or that facilitates the
scheduling and programming of interscholastic activities may not entertain a complaint,
open an investigation or take any other adverse action against a school district for main-
taining separate athletic competitions or extracurricular sports in accordance with sub-
section (2) of this section.
(5) A student who is deprived of an opportunity or suffers a direct or indirect harm as
a result of a school district knowingly violating this section may bring a claim against the
school district for injunctive relief, damages and any other relief available under law.
(6) A student who is subject to retaliation or any other adverse action by a school district
or athletic association or organization as a result of reporting a violation of this section to
an employee of the school district or the athletic association or organization, or to any public
NOTE:Matter in boldfaced type in an amended section is new; matter [italic and bracketed] is existing law to be omitted.
New sections are in boldfaced type.
LC 1003 SB618
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body with oversight of school districts in this state, may bring a claim against the school
district or athletic association or organization for injunctive relief, damages and any other
relief available under law.
(7) A school district that suffers a direct or indirect harm as a result of a violation of
this section may bring a claim against the public body, licensing or accrediting organization
or athletic association or organization for injunctive relief, damages and any other relief
available under law.
(8) A civil action brought under this section must be initiated not more than two years
after the alleged direct or indirect harm or the retaliation orotheradverseaction
occurred.A student or school district that prevails on a claim brought under this section is
entitled to monetary damages, including damages for any psychological, emotional or phys-
ical harm suffered, attorney fees and costs and any other appropriate relief.
SECTION 2. Section 1 of this 2025 Act first applies to the 2026-2027 school year.
SECTION 3.This 2025 Act being necessary for the immediate preservation of the public
peace, health and safety, an emergency is declared to exist, and this 2025 Act takes effect
on its passage.
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