New York Assembly Bill A07741

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 4/8/25
• Refer: 4/8/25
• Refer: 1/7/26

Caption

Protects women's sports in middle school and high school from unfair competition.

Summary

A07741 would add a new section to the New York Education Law to restrict participation on female-designated interscholastic and intramural sports teams in grades 7 through 12. Under the bill, public and private middle and high school teams or sports that are expressly designated solely for female athletes could not permit participation by persons other than those assigned female at birth. The measure is framed as protecting women’s sports from what the bill title describes as unfair competition. The bill applies to school-sponsored athletics that compete against other public or private middle schools and high schools. It would take effect on July 1 following enactment, and it authorizes any necessary rulemaking or regulatory changes to be completed before that date. In practical terms, it would affect school athletic eligibility rules, school districts, private schools, and student athletes in the covered grades.

Impact

If enacted, the bill would create a new statutory restriction in the Education Law governing sex-based eligibility for female sports teams in grades 7-12. It would override contrary education department rules or other laws to the extent they conflict, and would require schools to ensure that female-designated teams remain limited to students assigned female at birth. The bill would directly affect public schools, private schools, athletic associations, coaches, and students participating in middle school and high school sports.

Sentiment

The available voting history suggests the bill has support within the Assembly Education Committee but not unanimous support, as it was held for consideration by a 17-9 vote. That indicates the measure has a meaningful base of support among some members, while also facing substantial opposition or concern from others. No committee transcript is available, so the broader discussion is not documented here, but the vote pattern suggests the issue is politically and policy-wise divisive.

Contention

The central point of contention is the bill’s exclusion of students other than those assigned female at birth from female-designated sports teams. Supporters are likely to view the measure as protecting fairness and competitive opportunities for girls, while opponents are likely to argue that it discriminates against transgender students and may conflict with existing civil rights or school inclusion policies. Because the bill expressly preempts contrary rules or regulations, another likely area of dispute is whether it would override current education department guidance or school-level eligibility practices.