BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 2920

By: Campbell

Public Education

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

In the 87th Legislative Session the legislature passed and the governor signed into law H.B. 25, which requires students to compete in athletics based on biological sex as listed on their birth certificate. Additionally, the Education Code regulates student participation in University Interscholastic League (UIL) athletic competitions, including a prohibition on steroid use unless prescribed by a medical practitioner for a valid medical purpose. The bill sponsor has informed the committee that following H.B. 25, ambiguity has remained regarding the applicability of the steroid prohibition to gender-transition treatments and that the attorney general has issued Opinion KP-0481 to clarify that administering steroids to minors for the purpose of gender transition does not qualify as a valid medical purpose under provisions establishing exemptions from the prohibition against steroid use. S.B. 2920 seeks to resolve this ambiguity by clarifying that a valid medical purpose under UIL rules does not include the provision of steroids to a minor student to transition the student's biological sex.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

S.B. 2920 amends the Education Code to establish that the provision of steroids to a minor student to transition the student's biological sex is not a valid medical purpose for the purpose of exempting a student participating in athletic competitions sponsored or sanctioned by the University Interscholastic League (UIL) from the following restrictions on steroid use if the student uses a steroid that is dispensed, prescribed, delivered, and administered by a medical practitioner for a valid medical purpose and in the course of professional practice:

· the rule that the UIL is required to adopt prohibiting a student from participating in an athletic competition sponsored or sanctioned by UIL unless the student agrees not to use steroids and, if the student is enrolled in high school, the student submits to random testing for the presence of illegal steroids in the student's body, in accordance with a required steroid testing program; and

· the period of ineligibility from participation in an athletic competition sponsored or sanctioned by UIL resulting from a confirmed positive test result under the steroid testing program or the refusal to submit to random testing.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2025.