Education, Higher - As introduced, enacts the "Tennessee for Tampons Act," which requires public institutions of higher education to provide feminine hygiene products in all women's and girl's bathrooms and locker rooms. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 7; Title 49, Chapter 8 and Title 49, Chapter 9.

114th Regular Session (2025-2026) Introduced by Raumesh Akbari

The bill requires labeling teams by sex (or coed) and bars male students from girls’ teams, while shielding schools from external complaints for maintaining female-only teams.

Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Education Committee

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Purpose / Intent

The bill requires high school athletic teams and sports to be expressly labeled by sex or as coeducational, and it protects schools that maintain separate girls’ (female) teams from certain complaints or sanctions. It is presented as the “Fairness in Girls’ Sports Act” to preserve female-only athletic opportunities.

Key provisions

Scope: Applies to public high schools and to nonpublic high schools whose teams compete against public high schools in the state.

Required designation: Every interscholastic or intramural junior varsity or varsity team or sport must be expressly designated as one of:

Boys’, male, or men’s; or
Girls’, female, or women’s; or
Coeducational/mixed.

Participation rule: Any junior varsity or varsity team/sport designated for girls/females/women may not include students of the male sex (the bill defines “student of the female sex” and “student of the male sex” by biological sex).

Protection from adverse action: Governmental entities, licensing/accrediting organizations, and athletic associations may not accept complaints, investigate, or take adverse actions against a school for maintaining separate girls’ teams.

Private civil remedies:

A student who is deprived of an athletic opportunity or suffers harm from a violation may bring a civil action against the student’s school.
A student who suffers retaliation or adverse action for reporting a violation (to school officials, athletic organizations, or state/federal oversight agencies) may sue the school or the athletic association/organization.

Severability: If any provision is held invalid, the remainder remains in effect to the extent possible.

Short title: The act may be cited as the Fairness in Girls’ Sports Act.

Who is affected

Public high schools and qualifying nonpublic high schools (administrators, coaches).

Students seeking to participate on sports teams — specifically female students (as defined by biological sex) and male students who may be affected by participation rules.

Athletic associations and state oversight entities in their ability to enforce nondiscrimination rules against schools under this law.

Fiscal and procedural notes

Fiscal note summary: The bill does not directly affect state operations or revenues. Local school systems may incur additional costs if civil litigation is filed; schools can update policies with existing resources.

Legal context: The bill interacts with federal nondiscrimination law (Title IX). Recent federal litigation and agency rulemaking regarding sex and gender identity may affect legal challenges to or interpretation of state laws that define participation by biological sex.

Effective date listed in the bill text: July 1, 2025.

Practical effect

If enacted, schools would need to (1) label teams/sports explicitly by designation, (2) enforce female-team exclusion of male-sex students, and (3) be insulated from certain external complaints or sanctions for maintaining female-only teams — while exposing themselves to potential civil suits by students alleging deprivation or retaliation.

Bill