State Representative Craig Staats (R-Bucks) is calling on the House majority to bring legislation protecting women’s sports to the House floor after three bills addressing the issue have repeatedly been moved among committees without receiving a vote by the full House.
“Women and girls deserve a fair playing field,” said Staats. “That is why I am a co-sponsor of House Bill 158. Female athletes have worked hard for the opportunities available to them, and I believe those opportunities deserve to be protected.”
House Bill 158 would require athletic teams and sports covered by the legislation to be designated as male, female or coed based on sex and would prohibit students of the male sex from participating on teams designated for females. House Bill 1849 contains similar provisions. Senate Bill 9 also addresses the issue and passed the Senate 32-18 in May 2025 before being sent to the House.
Despite having three proposals before it, the House has yet to hold a vote on any of them. Instead, the bills have repeatedly moved among House committees. House Bills 158 and 1849 have traveled from the Education Committee to the Judiciary Committee, then to the Health Committee, back to Judiciary and back to Health.
According to research data and media reports, the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA), which governs high school sports in the state, reported being actively aware of only a single transgender student-athlete competing statewide in recent athletic seasons.
Research from the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law estimates that roughly 1.3% of youth aged 13 to 17 in Pennsylvania (about 10,000 children) identify as transgender, according to a WITF report.
Senate Bill 9 has taken an even longer route since arriving in the House, moving from Education to Health, Judiciary, Children and Youth, back to Health, then Judiciary and back to Health.
Most recently, the Health Committee re-referred all three bills to the Judiciary Committee on June 15. On July 1, the Judiciary Committee voted 14-12 to send each of them back to the Health Committee, where they currently remain, Stats said.
“At some point, we need to stop moving these bills from one committee to another and let representatives vote,” said Staats. “The Senate has already gone on the record. The Pennsylvania House deserves the same opportunity.
“Pennsylvanians deserve to know where their representatives stand. I know where I stand. I support protecting fairness and opportunities for female athletes. I am calling on the House majority to bring this legislation to the chamber and let us vote.”
Bucks County Republicans state Rep Kristin Marcell is a bill co-sponsor.
The bill applies to participation in girls’ and women’s sports that are sponsored by public schools, public universities and publicly chartered community colleges.
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