Rapp: House Democrats Continue Re-Referring Legislation Ensuring Safety in Women’s Sports

June 16, 2026

HARRISBURG - Rep. Kathy L. Rapp (R-Warren/Crawford/Forest), Republican chair of the House Health Committee, issued this statement following the second re-referral of legislation to prevent biological males from taking part in female sports to the Health Committee, and the subsequent rereferral out of the Health Committee by the Democratic majority:

"For the second time this session, legislation to make sure women's sports in the Commonwealth are safe and fair has been referred into the House Health Committee, then punted to another committee.

"We rereferred three bills: House Bill 158, House Bill 1849 and Senate Bill 9. Each has the goal of trying to keep Pennsylvania's female athletes safe. But once again, House Democrats would rather shuffle the bills around rather than put up the vote.

"Let me total up all the days since each of these bills were first filed in the House. House Bill 1849 has been filed for three months and eight days. Senate Bill 9 has been on the books for one year, one month and eight days. House Bill 158 was filed one year, four months and 26 days ago.

"In total for all three bills, that is 1,016 days, or two years, nine months and 10 days' worth of cumulative wasted time to ensure these bills are never considered.

"Rather than simply vote these bills down in committee, which the majority party has had ample opportunity to do, and the votes to do so, they have decided to play 'whack-a-mole.'

"At the first meeting of this committee to re-refer Senate Bill 9 in October 2025, I made a comment that at the rate the bill was being re-referred, it would end up in the Game and Fish Committee before the legislative session ends. While it was a tongue-in-cheek remark to highlight the absurdity of this process, I have a new recommendation. Maybe these bills should go to the Tourism Committee next. Since they've been on a tour of so many House committees, maybe that's the most appropriate place to consider these bills."

Representative Kathy Rapp
65th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Jake Gillespie
717.772.9834
RepRapp.com / Facebook.com/RepRapp