SB 5097 Washington Senate · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Safeguarding competitiveness in girls' interscholastic athletic activities.

SB 5097 requires the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) to establish "competitiveness rules" for girls' sports that ensure fair competition while considering physiological differences affecting athletic performance. These rules may allow excluding athletes from girls' teams if they have a significant competitive advantage due to hormone levels, but cannot require sex verification tests. The bill explicitly states that such decisions do not constitute unlawful discrimination and does not mandate ending separate boys' and girls' sports teams. The law directly affects school districts, the WIAA, and student athletes participating in Washington state high school sports.
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Jan 12, 2026 Last action Jan 12, 2026
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3
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Committee
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Jan 12, 2026
Introduced
By resolution, reintroduced and retained in present status.
upper
1 primary · 5 co-sponsors

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