SF0044 | Fairness in Sports – Intercollegiate Athletics

1. Who Is Affected: The bill applies to student-athletes at the University of Wyoming and Wyoming community colleges.

2. Athletic Competition Requirements:

   • Students must compete only in sports teams or events that match the sex listed on their official birth certificate.
   • “Male” and “female” are defined strictly by the presence of the reproductive systems that produce sperm or eggs. This means the competition is based on a person’s biological sex as recorded at birth or corrected only for clerical errors.
   • A student is not allowed to join a team or event for the opposite sex.
     
     

3. Exceptions:

   • If there isn’t a separate female competition available, a female student may be allowed to compete in a male competition.
   • For individual sports, female students should not directly compete against male students if it’s determined that such a contest would be unsafe or unfair.
     
     

4. Reporting and Enforcement:

   • Schools can’t punish someone for reporting a violation of these rules.
   • If a false report is made, the person making it can be disciplined.
   • Anyone harmed by a violation can sue the institution. The maximum liability for a school is capped at $50,000.
   • Courts can also order other measures (like injunctions) to enforce the rules and may cover reasonable legal fees for the winning party.
     
     

5. Implementation:

   • The University of Wyoming and the Wyoming Community College Commission are required to create detailed rules to put these guidelines into practice.
   • These rules must also protect the confidentiality of students’ medical information.
     
     

6. Effective Date:

   • The act goes into effect on July 1, 2025.
     
     

View Full Text of the Bill: https://wyoleg.gov/Legislation/2025/SF0044