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H.R. 4363: Defend Girls Athletics Act

This bill, known as the Defend Girls Athletics Act, aims to establish specific requirements for schools and institutions of higher education to promote what it describes as "biological fairness" in women's sports. Here are the key points of what the bill proposes:

Requirements for Educational Agencies

Local educational agencies (like school districts) that receive federal funding must:

Ensure compliance with a specific executive order that prohibits the participation of biological males in women's sports.
Annually certify their compliance to the relevant state educational agency by August 15 of each year.
Facilitate state educational agencies in reporting non-compliance issues to the Secretary of Education by September 15 each year.

Enforcement Measures

If the Secretary of Education determines that a local educational agency is not complying with these requirements, the following will occur:

The agency may have to return any unobligated federal funds received under the education act.
The agency will be ineligible to receive future funds until it can prove compliance.

Higher Education Institutions

Similarly, institutions of higher education would also be subject to stipulations, which include:

Certifying compliance with the same executive order to the Secretary of Education by July 1 each year.
Compliance would be necessary for the institution to be eligible for federal funds or financial assistance, including student loans.

Program Participation Agreements

The bill also amends existing agreements to require institutions to demonstrate compliance with the "biological fairness" requirements as a condition of continued program participation.

Overall Impact

The bill positions compliance with its stipulations as a prerequisite for receiving federal funding for education, essentially linking financial assistance to adherence to new guidelines regarding the participation of biological males in women's sports.