Education - Interscholastic and Intramural Junior Varsity and Varsity Teams and Sports - Designation (Fairness in Girls' Sports Act)

Maryland's SB 50, the "Fairness in Girls' Sports Act," requires public and certain nonpublic high schools to explicitly designate interscholastic and intramural sports teams as "boys'/male," "girls'/female," or co-ed. It prohibits male students from participating on teams designated for "girls, females, or women" and bars government entities or athletic associations from penalizing schools for maintaining separate teams for female students. The law allows students denied athletic opportunities due to the law's provisions to file civil lawsuits against their school, and protects students reporting violations from retaliation. The bill takes effect July 1, 2026.