A bill that would ban biological males from participating in women’s sports across Georgia seems to be on a fast track in the Senate. The Senate Committee on Education & Youth held its first meeting of the session late last week and passed SB 1 – the Fair and Safe Athletic Opportunities Act by Sen. Greg Dolezal, R-Cumming.
The bill does also prohibit females from competing in male-only sports, with several exceptions. For the purposes of this bill and relevant code sections, sex is defined as that identified on the student’s birth certificate as long as it was issued at or near birth.
“Today, the Senate Education and Youth Committee took an important step toward achieving a critical goal for this session, the protection of women’s sports,” said Lt. Gov. Burt Jones. “The Senate continues to lead the way on making these protections for our sisters and daughters a reality. I want to thank the brave women who testified today and shared their personal stories. Their courage is commendable and their support for this measure will ensure that the rights of female athletes are preserved. I look forward to the full Senate taking up this bill on the floor soon.”
According to Jones, the bill is based on legislative findings relating to the need to protect girls’ and women’s athletics and the work of the special committee created by the Lt. Governor. By enacting Senate Bill 1, Georgia would join 26 other states that protect women’s sports.
Dolezal also introduced a wide-ranging school safety bill late last week. SB 61 would provide for additional offenses over which superior courts are authorized to exercise exclusive original jurisdiction for the trials of children 13 to 17 years of age to include the offenses of certain terroristic threats or acts involving public and private schools. The bill would repeal a provision that limits superior courts from exercising exclusive original jurisdiction over the trials of these children who are alleged to have committed aggravated assault only in certain cases involving the use of a firearm upon a public safety officer.
Other bills introduced this week include:
● SB 38 and SR 52, by Sen. Dolezal, would allow schools to levy and impose development impact fees for educational facilities in certain high growth school systems
● SB 37/AI Accountability Act, by Sen. John Albers, R-Roswell, would require all state and local governmental entities including school systems to publicly publish and maintain artificial intelligence system usage plans.
