The House passed legislation Tuesday that would ban transgender athletes from participating in women’s and girls’ sports at schools and institutions receiving federal funds.
The bill, which would also amend federal law to say that “sex shall be recognized based solely on a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth,” was approved largely along party lines in a 218 to 206 vote.
Only two Texas Democrats voted for the measure: Henry Cuellar and Vicente Gonzalez. Rep. Don Davis, D-N.C., voted present, and no Republicans opposed the measure.
The bill now heads to the Senate.
Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., who sponsored the legislation, said it was aimed at protecting women’s sports.