§ 49-7-180 — Males prohibited from participating in public higher education sports designated for females

(a) (1) Intercollegiate or intramural athletic teams or sports that are designated for "females," "women," or "girls" and that are sponsored, sanctioned, or operated by a public institution of higher education or by a private institution of higher education whose students or teams compete against public institutions of higher education shall not be open to students of the male sex. (2) Subdivision (a)(1) does not restrict the eligibility of a student to participate in an intercollegiate or intramural athletic team or sport designated for "males," "men," or "boys" or designated as "coed" or "mixed." (b) For purposes of this section, an institution of higher education shall rely upon the sex listed on the student's original birth certificate, if the birth certificate was issued at or near the time of birth. If a birth certificate provided by a student is not the student's original birth certificate issued at or near the time of birth or does not indicate the student's sex, then the student must provide other evidence indicating the student's sex. (c) A government entity, a licensing or accrediting organization, or an athletic association or organization shall not: (1) Accept a complaint, open an investigation, or otherwise take an adverse action against an institution of higher education for maintaining separate intercollegiate or intramural athletic teams or sports for students of the female sex; or (2) Retaliate or take an adverse action against a student who reports a violation of this section to an employee or representative of the institution of higher education, athletic association, or organization, or to a state or federal agency with oversight of the institution of higher education. (d) Each institution of higher education shall adopt and enforce a policy to ensure compliance with this section.

Legislative History

Added by 2022 Tenn. Acts, ch. 1005, s 2, eff. 7/1/2022.