Marsha Blackburn

08/04/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 08/04/2026 16:29

Blackburn Leads Colleagues in Introducing Bill to Permanently Restore Biological Sex Standard in Title IX

Blackburn Leads Colleagues in Introducing Bill to Permanently Restore Biological Sex Standard in Title IX

August 4, 2026

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Jim Justice(R-W.Va.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), and Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) introduced the Title IX Clarification Act, which would ensure Title IX anti-discrimination requirements tied to federal education funding are based on biological sex and not "sexual orientation or gender identity:"

"The Biden administration weaponized Title IX to force women to compete with men in sports and allow men to invade women's spaces," said Senator Blackburn. "Thankfully, President Trump restored common sense in Title IX, and now Congress must codify these protections for women into law to prevent future abuse. The Title IX Clarification Act would ensure that common sense, not leftist ideology, governs federal education funding tied to Title IX requirements to protect young women."

"President Trump has taken decisive action through executive orders to protect young women on campuses across the country. Now, we must ensure these protections are codified into federal law," said Senator Britt. "We saw the Biden-Harris Administration cave to the woke mob and allow Title IX to be abused in ways that permitted biological men to infringe on girls' sports and spaces. We cannot let that happen again, and this legislation will restore regulatory clarity to ensure it does not."

"I've been blessed to spend many years coaching young ladies in West Virginia, and I can tell you this: they work their tails off and earn every opportunity they get. At the end of the day, they deserve a fair shot. That's exactly what the Title IX Clarification Act is about. It puts common sense back into the law, protects the opportunities Title IX was meant to guarantee, and stands up for our girls and young women. Fighting for our female athletes is a fight I'll take every single day," said Senator Justice.

"We cannot allow the radical left's campaign to succeed in undermining Title IX protections. While far too many activists refuse to acknowledge the differences between biological men and women, I am proud to join Senator Blackburn and my colleagues in this common-sense effort to ensure women and girls continue to receive equal access to educational opportunities," said Senator Budd.

"Even after Idaho's historic win to keep men out of women's sports at the U.S. Supreme Court, the rights promised in Title IX remain under threat," said Senator Risch. "The Title IX Clarification Act further guards these protections, clearly defining the biological differences between men and women, so that generations of young girls can continue participating in sports and other educational opportunities on a level playing field."

"The original intent of Title IX was to protect women's educational and athletic opportunities," said Senator Crapo. "In a recent decision on Idaho's first-in-the-nation law to ensure these opportunities do not go to biological males, the Supreme Court of the United States correctly ruled Title IX allows states to apply a biology-based understanding of maintaining separate sports categories. The Title IX Clarification Act preserves the existing framework of the law while making clear its protections are based on the biological definition of sex."

"Title IX exists for a simple, obvious reason: women deserve their own spaces and proper protection under the law. That has been clear for all of human history, and we only need to clarify it now because of Democrats' radical gender ideology," said Senator Scott. "I'm grateful my daughters had Title IX protection; we shouldn't make it meaningless to appease the radical left. I'm proud to join Senator Blackburn on this commonsense bill."

"We need to protect fairness and opportunity for women. For 50 years, Title IX has leveled the playing field. Democrats continuously undermine these protections in their attempts to redefine biology. The Title IX Clarification Act would clearly define an individual's sex is based solely on biology. President Trump reaffirmed this commonsense reality by executive order and now Congress must codify these protections. Passing this bill would keep men out of women's sports, restrooms, and locker rooms," said Senator Ricketts.

"The left is weaponizing their radical gender ideology to undermine Title IX, which goes against its entire purpose: to protect women and girls. It's critical we codify President Trump's Title IX protections and match biological reality rather than the left's dangerous gender identity beliefs. I'm proud to work alongside Senator Blackburn to protect women's sports and set the record straight," said Senator Daines.

"Boys are boys, and girls are girls - it's common sense. Title IX was created to protect women and girls, and that's exactly what this bill does by making clear that federal law is rooted in biological reality - not political ideology. We owe it to current and future generations to ensure opportunities under Title IX are protected," said Senator Sheehy.

House Budget Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) led introduction of companion legislation in the House of Representatives. Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) also co-sponsored this legislation.

BACKGROUND

  • For more than 50 years, Title IX has protected equal educational opportunities by prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex. In recent years, however, woke ideology has sought to redefine the law beyond Congress' original intent, creating uncertainty for schools and undermining protections for women and girls.
  • At the beginning of his second term, President Trump revoked a Biden-era Executive Order that directed the U.S. Secretary of Education to interpret Title IX anti-discrimination language "on the basis of sex" to cover "discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity."

TITLE IX CLARIFICATION ACT

  • The Title IX Clarification Act would clarify that the term "sex" refers only to an individual's biologically determined status as male or female where Title IX prohibits discrimination based on sex in education programs or activities receiving federal financial assistance.
  • Specifically, this legislation would:
  • Restore Title IX's original meaning by affirming Congress' original intent to protect women's educational opportunities;
  • Address concerns raised by the Supreme Court during the January 2026 oral arguments regarding transgender participation in women's sports. During those arguments, Justice Neil Gorsuch noted that Congress has not clearly defined Title IX's requirements for states accepting federal funds and suggested that any departure from the historical understanding of "sex" as biological sex raises Spending Clause concerns unless Congress acts explicitly; and
  • Establish clear statutory definitions of "male" and "female" within Title IX, eliminating ambiguity and preventing taxpayer dollars from being used to support ideological redefinitions of sex.

Click here for bill text.

ENDORSEMENTS

This legislation is supported by the Family Research Council (FRC); Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF); American Principles Project (APP); Family Policy Alliance (FPA); Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee (CWALAC); and Heritage Action.

Marsha Blackburn published this content on August 04, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on August 04, 2026 at 22:30 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]