Text of MD HB 47 (2024)

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW. [Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law. *hb0047* HOUSE BILL 47 F1, D5 4lr1132 HB 359/23 – W&M (PRE–FILED) CF 4lr1133 By: Delegates Szeliga, Arikan, Chisholm, Fisher, Grammer, Hutchinson, Kipke, R. Long, Mangione, McComas, Miller, M. Morgan, T. Morgan, Munoz, Nawrocki, Schmidt, and Tomlinson Requested: October 24, 2023 Introduced and read first time: January 10, 2024 Assigned to: Ways and Means A BILL ENTITLED AN ACT concerning 1 Education – Interscholastic and Intramural Junior Varsity and Varsity Teams 2 – Designation Based on Sex 3 (Fairness in Girls’ Sports Act) 4 FOR the purpose of requiring certain interscholastic and intramural junior varsity and 5 varsity athletic teams or sports sponsored by certain schools to be expressly 6 designated based on biological sex; prohibiting certain entities from taking certain 7 adverse actions against a school for maintaining separate interscholastic and 8 intramural junior varsity and varsity athletic teams and sports for students of the 9 female sex; providing that certain individuals have the right to bring a civil action 10 under certain circumstances; and generally relating to interscholastic and 11 intramural junior varsity and varsity teams and sports of public and nonpublic 12 schools. 13 BY adding to 14 Article – Education 15 Section 7–118 16 Annotated Code of Maryland 17 (2022 Replacement Volume and 2023 Supplement) 18 SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 19 That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 20 Article – Education 21 7–118. 22 2 HOUSE BILL 47 (A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 1 INDICATED. 2 (2) “STUDENT OF THE FEMALE SEX” MEANS A STUDENT WHOSE 3 BIOLOGICAL SEX IS FEMALE. 4 (3) “STUDENT OF THE MALE SEX” MEANS A STUDENT WHOSE 5 BIOLOGICAL SEX IS MALE. 6 (B) THIS SECTION APPLIES TO: 7 (1) PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOLS; AND 8 (2) NONPUBLIC HIGH SCHOOLS WHOSE STUDENT ATHLETES OR 9 ATHLETIC TEAMS COMPETE AGAINST STUDENT ATHLETES OR ATHLETIC TEAMS 10 FROM PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOLS IN THE STATE. 11 (C) (1) AN INTERSCHOLASTIC OR INTRAMURAL JUNIOR VARSITY OR 12 VARSITY ATHLETIC TEAM OR SPORT THAT IS SPONSORED BY A PUBLIC OR 13 NONPUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL SHALL BE EXPRESSLY DESIGNATED AS ONE OF THE 14 FOLLOWING BASED ON BIOLOGICAL SEX: 15 (I) A BOYS’, MALE, OR MEN’S TEAM OR SPORT; 16 (II) A GIRLS’, FEMALE, OR WOMEN’S TEAM OR SPORT; OR 17 (III) A COEDUCATIONAL OR MIXED TEAM OR SPORT. 18 (2) AN INTERSCHOLASTIC OR INTRAMURAL JUNIOR VARSITY OR 19 VARSITY ATHLETIC TEAM OR SPORT DESIGNATED FOR GIRLS, FEMALES, OR WOMEN 20 MAY NOT INCLUDE STUDENTS OF THE MALE SEX. 21 (D) A GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY, A LICENSING OR ACCREDITING 22 ORGANIZATION, OR AN ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION OR ORGANIZATION MAY NOT ACCEPT 23 A COMPLAINT, CONDUCT AN INVESTIGATION, OR TAKE ANY OTHER ADVERSE ACTION 24 AGAINST A SCHOOL FOR MAINTAINING SEPARATE INTERSCHOLASTIC OR 25 INTRAMURAL JUNIOR VARSITY OR VARSITY ATHLETIC TEAMS OR SPORTS FOR 26 STUDENTS OF THE FEMALE SEX. 27 (E) (1) (I) A STUDENT WHO IS DEPRIVED OF AN ATHLETIC 28 OPPORTUNITY OR SUFFERS ANY DIRECT OR INDIRECT HARM AS A RESULT OF A 29 VIOLATION OF THIS SECTION MAY BRING A CIVIL ACTION AGAINST THE SCHOOL THE 30 STUDENT ATTENDS. 31 HOUSE BILL 47 3 (II) A STUDENT WHO IS SUBJECT TO RETALIATION OR OTHER 1 ADVERSE ACTION BY A SCHOOL OR AN ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION OR ORGANIZATION 2 AS A RESULT OF REPORTING A VIOLATION OF THIS SECTION TO AN EMPLOYEE OR 3 REPRESENTATIVE OF THE SCHOOL, ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION OR ORGANIZATION, OR 4 ANY STATE OR FEDERAL AGENCY WITH OVERSIGHT OF SCHOOLS IN THE STATE MAY 5 BRING A CIVIL ACTION AGAINST THE SCHOOL OR ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION OR 6 ORGANIZATION. 7 (III) A SCHOOL THAT SUFFERS ANY DIRECT OR INDIRECT HARM 8 FROM A GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY, A LICENSING OR ACCREDITING ORGANIZATION, 9 OR AN ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION OR ORGANIZATION AS A RESULT OF A VIOLATION OF 10 THIS SECTION MAY BRING A CIVIL ACTION AGAINST THE GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY, 11 LICENSING OR ACCREDITING ORGANIZATION, OR ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION OR 12 ORGANIZATION. 13 (2) A CIVIL ACTION INITIATED UNDER THIS SECTION MUST BE 14 INITIATED WITHIN 2 YEARS AFTER THE HARM OCCURRED. 15 (3) AN INDIVIDUAL WHO PREVAILS IN A CIVIL ACTION UNDER THIS 16 SECTION MAY RECOVER: 17 (I) MONETARY DAMAGES, INCLUDING DAMAGES FOR ANY 18 PSYCHOLOGICAL, EMOTIONAL, AND PHYSICAL HARM SUFFERED; 19 (II) REASONABLE ATTORNEY’S FEES AND COSTS; AND 20 (III) ANY OTHER RELIEF, INCLUDING AN INJUNCTION, AS THE 21 COURT MAY DETERMINE APPROPRIATE. 22 (F) THIS SECTION MAY BE KNOWN AND CITED AS THE FAIRNESS IN GIRLS’ 23 SPORTS ACT. 24 SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That, if any provision of this Act or 25 the application thereof to any person or circumstance is held invalid for any reason in a 26 court of competent jurisdiction, the provision shall be construed to give the provision the 27 maximum effect permitted by law unless the provision is held to be absolutely invalid. 28 SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That, if any provision of this Act or 29 the application thereof to any person or circumstance is held invalid for any reason in a 30 court of competent jurisdiction, the invalidity does not affect other provisions or any other 31 application of this Act that can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, 32 and for this purpose the provisions of this Act are declared severable. 33 4 HOUSE BILL 47 SECTION 4. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 1 1, 2024. 2