On Monday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law House Bill 25, which will prohibit transgender athletes from participating on K-12 school sports teams that align with their gender identity, Allyson Waller of The Texas Tribune reports.
The bill, which was authored by Republican state representative Valerie Swanson, requires athletes to participate on teams that are consistent with the sex listed on their birth certificates. It will take effect on Jan. 18.
Swanson has asserted that the bill aims to uphold Title IX and secure fairness in girls' sports. Title IX is a federal law that prohibits discrimination in sports on the basis of sex.