North Dakota passes bills protecting female school sports

Republican Governor Doug Burgum signed two bills Tuesday that prohibit males identifying as women from joining female sports teams. One bill, HB 1249, preserves protections for sports in K-12 schools found in Title IX, the landmark federal law meant to establish equality for men and women in education. The other bill, HB 1489, applies similar protections to colleges in the state. Burgum had vetoed a similar bill two years ago, but this year, bill supporters had enough votes that they could likely have overridden his veto.

How many other states have similar laws? Currently, 21 states, including North Dakota, have laws protecting women’s sports in either K-12 or college, according to the Movement Advancement Project. The laws in four of those states are currently blocked under an injunction while courts consider challenges to the laws. Montana’s law protecting female athletes in higher education is currently blocked, but its law protecting girls’ sports in K-12 schools remains in effect. 

Dig deeper: Read Lauren Dunn’s report in Schooled on the Biden administration’s transgender twist to Title IX.