[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6624535,"mediaKeyId","2765679-bacb2379e97d275c18ba8b31b3920ad6","parentId",2765679,"title","Committee approves bill restricting participation of males in female sports, creating private-right pathway and complaint process","audioSeconds",2387,"startMs",4320000,"endMs",6707000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2765679-bacb2379e97d275c18ba8b31b3920ad6&start=4320&end=6707","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2765679-bacb2379e97d275c18ba8b31b3920ad6/thumbnail_4320000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6624535/Georgia/Committee-approves-bill-restricting-participation-of-males-in-female-sports-creating-private-right-pathway-and-complaint-process","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6624535-cf6925b231f3bd8684a7e97476ff66df/orig.mp4?Expires=1771083886&Signature=n2T1xguWSz2i7OC5oP0q0U~O0gaP803h2UcAdv6VHW49rc8enTNJmswMzNmEGdGzLpJR7si4KKtZVXruua3stIXRuzhQEIRAAQb-u1xpxiw3wZd4w08bulPl~UZa8u9g0ckogMLhQm-wRX3ADMT4XWpZpRuzRiVjvp3vfO7MBlO5zaaE5NP4MjH~qfxX~RrUz1Uc-YfIPE2dTqqMCLHlakuA9KOeRD3x6FYXFtXDxQcYiL3BU94Hq1SmjbMZASlpmH-8rf9Rmc92saeKD0yG3wB0A9kmINhoTlIvS5RLMNUYD-LLey1fHMgbJMfBXgGumqaCWnDf3-kuy9sBXwnPpg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","State of Georgia ","date","2025-03-25T20:12:20.92Z","article","The Education Committee voted to pass Senate Bill 1 (LC492383S), identified in the substitute as the Riley Gaines Act of 2025, which would limit participation in female-designated athletic competitions to persons the bill defines as female based on observation or clinical verification at birth. The bill passed the committee after sponsor remarks, floor debate and an extended public-comment period featuring both pro- and anti-positions.

Senator Greg Dolezal, the bill sponsor, said the measure \"creates a boundary around female sport to prevent the inclusion of male advantage in female sport,\" and described the bill as focused on athletic competition while noting it adopts house language on certain caveats for trainers, coaches and facilities. The substitute includes a complaint process that uses existing school procedures for K–12 complaints, an appeal process with deadlines for school-level adjudication, and a private right of action with a two-year statute of limitations for aggrieved parties. The bill treats institutions of higher education separately for complaint procedures.

Public testimony included in-person advocates and opponents. Matt Sharp of Alliance Defending Freedom testified in support, arguing the bill protects equal opportunities for women and citing physiological performance differences. Sharp said the bill \"sets an eligibility rule that males are not eligible to compete in women's sports in line with other eligibility rules that we have in sports.\"

Testimony in opposition described harms to transgender, intersex and cisgender female athletes. Evalina (Evelina) Pierce, an athlete who said she has played with transgender teammates, told the committee that she had played \"with or against trans women and had no idea that they were trans until much later,\" and warned the bill would stigmatize and exclude a small number of students. Soju Hokkari, a trans athlete and student at Emory University, questioned the bill's biometric definitions and warned the committee the medical and scientific bases cited by sponsors are outdated.

Other speakers raised legal and operational concerns: Carrie Scott, an attorney, said the bill's language is overly broad in places (for example restrooms and locker-room rules) and noted the bill permits males to practice with female teams in some circumstances, which she said undermines safety claims. Brooke Mills and other advocates highlighted intersex populations and case-law considerations and urged against definitions tied strictly to observable markers at birth.

Committee members asked clarifying questions about private schools, the use of medical records in lieu of birth certificates, exceptions when a corresponding girls' team does not exist, and locker-room access for coaches and trainers. The sponsor said the K–12 hook for private institutions is tied to participation in state-sanctioned athletic competition or receipt of state funds and that the bill's school complaint process is intentionally aligned with existing administrative procedures.

A motion to give the bill a \"do pass\" recommendation was made, seconded and approved by voice vote. The sponsor and Representative Josh Bonner (who spoke in committee as the House author) were identified as the legislative leads; Representative Bonner was named as the House \"wingman\" who will carry the measure.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Education 03.25.25","oneSentenceSummary","The Education Committee approved Senate Bill 1 (LC492383S), the substitute titled the Riley Gaines Act of 2025, a measure sponsors said will exclude males from female-designated athletic competition and create a school complaint process plus a private right of action.","taxTitle","Education, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Committees, Legislative, Georgia","taxId",16944,"location","Georgia","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6624540,"Committee approves outdoor-learning pilot and removes physician requirement for AEDs in schools",954,2811000,3765000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2765679-bacb2379e97d275c18ba8b31b3920ad6&start=2811&end=3765","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2765679-bacb2379e97d275c18ba8b31b3920ad6/thumbnail_2811000.jpg","/articles/6624540/Georgia/Committee-approves-outdoor-learning-pilot-and-removes-physician-requirement-for-AEDs-in-schools","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6624540-2dcd169e868c1cc957b060de77473aef/orig.mp4?Expires=1771083886&Signature=iBdO5hc5329-SO-9c6gXpcZvUjCkUdXjyRnXJsUEgkDIyFuqo6zW4a4xWaUMaldXDLNCZ6OYmvzpu2pUiioM3C12~-ZF4aTFguK9W5CelnTLlNeVW7ZyF5ns96uh7yW3Nfwojd6FcCQlD0w4zQVZJvdZw4tp0C8to5kyV-YuEO38Pav3Bn~09KjKdCOibdzF8R-cufxHnnC0ITEUBIUKInPNtSsUAtuNGtjT6bcIRviKJnaqMiv30jL~qRZWT4Sd5GCIE~GQmyPfxwzUR4AsIE09retR75dtl4uUENEZEKtgM25zk4pumof25X-1xmtrGW04DvUVCyx07lEtTuAaFw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Education Committee voted to pass Senate Bill 148 (LC3398823S), a measure authorizing the State Department of Education to run a pilot for outdoor learning spaces and clarifying requirements for automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in K–12 schools.

Senator Pritzbill, the bill sponsor, said the pilot aims to test “best practices and design standards for outdoor learning spaces” and noted an amendment added in the Senate to increase teacher personal leave from three to five days. The sponsor said some schools already operate outdoor classrooms and the pilot would gather data to develop a blueprint for broader adoption.

Committee members pressed the sponsor on funding and scope. The sponsor said the bill anticipates a mixture of funding sources—state appropriation under consideration in the House budget, local funds and private foundation contributions; he named the Arthur and Turner family foundations as examples of potential private support and said the goal was to locate pilot sites statewide, including rural areas. \"In a perfect world, I would love to see this in every school,\" the sponsor said, while acknowledging the pilot is subject to appropriations.

On the AED language change, Tara Bacolt of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta testified the substitute is a technical cleanup to last year’s AED expansion. She said AED manufacturers already provide physician oversight and that requiring each school to obtain a local physician sign-off has created an administrative barrier for elementary and smaller schools seeking to place defibrillators on site. \"When they expanded that from high schools to all K–12 schools, this is now a significant number more looking for and the language was physician involvement, which led to questions on what that means,\" Bacolt said. She described the substitute as removing an unnecessary physician requirement so more schools can acquire AEDs and enroll in existing hospital-led support programs.

Committee members asked about curriculum and assessment for the pilot; the sponsor said curriculum would generally tie to existing standards (for example, life-science lessons linked to local ecosystems) and that local school boards selected for pilots would provide outcome data to the Department of Education to inform expansion. The sponsor estimated working with the Department on at least a dozen initial pilot sites but said final numbers depend on appropriations and local partnerships.

A motion to pass the bill was made and seconded; with no public speakers signed up, the committee voted and advanced the measure. Representative Sue Hong was identified as the House member who will carry the bill.","The Education Committee passed Senate Bill 148 (LC3398823S), authorizing a pilot program for outdoor education spaces and removing a physician sign-off requirement for school automated external defibrillators (AEDs). Sponsors said funding would include private foundations, local funds and subject to appropriations.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6624545,"Education committee advances bill to bar campaigns from harvesting student data in schools",752,2003000,2755000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2765679-bacb2379e97d275c18ba8b31b3920ad6&start=2003&end=2755","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2765679-bacb2379e97d275c18ba8b31b3920ad6/thumbnail_2003000.jpg","/articles/6624545/Georgia/Education-committee-advances-bill-to-bar-campaigns-from-harvesting-student-data-in-schools","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6624545-e0726923852917a7ccbf4965cf309d2c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771083886&Signature=GZiwUZviGLYW~hIEpM7BC4Gn3g7KZNvq64aviWaP3TaoobjXzSmcZOQxdjfhOLTM6c-gXu00MEZPKDg~Vbvi-UxXQ6tHquwR08vEoKzbk17vfkt-az3d5QHH7efS0mrgnoUaxijpnnFP2oxl7DDj8sdizFZIRewg3B44zjJlsh5pF7wEe-8BRDQWHn4TGUqPDt10WGtc0~w~ZUZYBRf0KNQkAV6lGihBfAtInGIHRoyaFC-jAQNTdQQsHclMEYQIrTOuMZXH3rP6xI3OUw2BWfZ1-KPn2D3ONjIvZSwm8RQeSfGjJMlwKRE5gOI0LtXsSDNtL3o3AGC4XTL-bPGfAA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Education Committee on a voice vote advanced Senate Bill 212 (LC473473 S), a measure its sponsor said is designed to stop political campaigns from entering K–12 schools under false pretenses to collect minors' personal data.

Senator Still, the bill sponsor, told the committee the measure is “affectionately referred to as protecting the information of minors in public schools” and said the provision grew from incidents in multiple school districts where campaigns were alleged to have collected student information without registering that data with the Secretary of State.

The bill defines and narrows the conduct targeted, the sponsor said, and includes substitute language added in negotiation with Senate Democratic leaders to ensure ordinary school events are not swept in. “We saw this happen in Fulton County, Gwinnett County, Forsyth County, firsthand,” Senator Still said during his presentation. The sponsor directed members to the substitute language at lines 42–55 that he said was drafted with Senate Democratic Minority Leader Senator Estevez to avoid unintentionally restricting typical school activities.

Committee members asked how the bill would affect parents, volunteers and nonprofit-led voter registration drives. Senator Still and the sponsor said parents and volunteers who attend or are invited to school events are protected when they participate in their individual capacity; the bill targets solicitation conducted under false pretenses or where a campaign requests directories or other student data for recruitment or political use. The sponsor said nonprofits will be allowed to continue lawful voter-registration activities so long as those drives are properly registered with the Secretary of State and coordinated with school administration.

A committee member raised a practical example about career day and whether a parent who is also a candidate would be able to distribute campaign materials. The sponsor replied that being a parent invited to speak is not the same as a campaign solicitation: \"If your campaign wanted it, and I was soliciting that information, FERPA does protect that, but it doesn't prevent someone from going under a false pretense to do that. And that's the whole point of this bill,\" he said.

With no public speakers signed up on the measure, a committee member moved to approve the bill, a second was recorded, and the chair called the voice vote. The motion carried and the sponsor confirmed Chairman Todd Jones will carry the measure in the House.

The bill record notes the committee is working from substitute LC473473 S; committee debate referenced FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) as the federal privacy framework implicated by the incidents described by the sponsor.","The Education Committee approved Senate Bill 212 (LC473473 S), which bars campaigns and candidates from entering K–12 schools under false pretenses to solicit minors' personal data. Sponsors said the change clarifies FERPA protections and aims to stop campaigns from exporting student information to databases.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee approves bill restricting participation of males in female sports, creating private-right pathway and complaint process

Committee approves outdoor-learning pilot and removes physician requirement for AEDs in schools

Education committee advances bill to bar campaigns from harvesting student data in schools