BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - Some North Dakota senators have amended a transgender sports bill to make the legislation apply only to high school teams and not to college or club sports.
The Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday voted 6-1 in favor of an amended version of a House bill passed last month. It now goes to the full Senate for a vote.
The amended bill would prohibit a publicly funded school or entity from knowingly allowing a person under 18 to play on a team that is exclusively for the opposite sex. However, the bill would allow girls to participate in school sports for boys.
“This basically makes it a K-12 issue, that we will follow biological sex in that section,” said Sen. Janne Myrdal, who introduced the amendments.
Opponents see the bill as discriminatory against transgender people. Supporters say the bill preserves fairness in girls sports.
Some bill opponents also said the legislation would threaten the hosting of collegiate and club sports events in the state and would create legal and economic risks, the Bismarck Tribune reported.
Should the Senate pass the bill, it would go back to the House for concurrence on amendments.
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