HCR 2003

House Engrossed
interscholastic;
  intramural athletics; biological sex
State of Arizona
House of Representatives
Fifty-seventh Legislature
Second Regular Session
2026
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 2003
A
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
enacting and ordering the submission to
the people of a measure relating to student athletics.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of
Arizona, the Senate concurring:
1. Under the power of the referendum, as vested in
the Legislature, the following measure, relating to student athletics, is
enacted to become valid as a law if approved by the voters and on proclamation
of the Governor:
AN ACT
amending section 15-120.02, Arizona
Revised Statutes; relating to student athletics.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
Section 1. Section
15-120.02, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:
START_STATUTE15-120.02. Interscholastic and intramural athletics; designation of teams;
biological sex; designation of facilities; cause of action; definitions
A. Beginning
on January 1, 2027, each school that sponsors an interscholastic
or intramural athletic team or sport that is sponsored by a
public school or a private school whose students or teams compete against a
public school and each athletic association that sponsors
an interscholastic or intramural sport shall be
expressly designated designate the athletic
team or sport as one of the following, based on
the biological sex of the students athletes who participate on the athletic team
or in the sport:
1. "Males",
"men" or "boys".
2. "Females",
"women" or "girls".
3. "Coed"
"Coeducational" or "mixed".
B. A school
or athletic association may not open any interscholastic or intramural athletic
teams team or sports
sport that is designated for "females", "women"
or "girls" may not be open
to students athletes of the male
sex.
C. This section does not
restrict the eligibility of any student athlete
to participate in any interscholastic or intramural athletic team or
sport that is aligned with the athlete's sex or that is designated
as being for "males", "men" or
"boys" or designated as "coed" "coeducational"
or "mixed".
D. Beginning
on January 1, 2027, if a school or athletic association provides and maintains
restrooms, locker rooms, shower rooms or other private spaces that are integral
to athletic engagement, the school or athletic association, including employees
of the school or athletic association, may not authorize any individual to use
a restroom, locker room, shower room or other private space that is not
designated for that individual's sex.
D. E. A government entity, any
licensing or organization, accrediting
organization or any athletic association or
organization may not entertain a complaint, open an investigation or
take any other adverse action against a school or athletic
association for maintaining separate interscholastic or intramural
athletic teams or sports for students athletes
of the female sex.
E. F. Any student athlete
who is deprived of an athletic opportunity or suffers any direct or
indirect harm as a result of a school or an athletic association
knowingly violating this section has a private cause of action for
injunctive relief, damages and any other relief available under law against the
school or athletic association.
F. G. Any student athlete
who is subject to retaliation or another adverse action by a school or
an athletic association or organization as a result of
reporting a violation of this section to an employee or representative of the
school or the athletic association or organization, or to
any state or federal agency with oversight of schools in this state, has a
private cause of action for injunctive relief, damages and any other relief
available under law against the school or the athletic association or organization.
G. H. Any school that suffers any direct or indirect
harm as a result of a violation of this section has a private cause of action
for injunctive relief, damages and any other relief available under law against
the government entity, the licensing or organization, accrediting organization or the
athletic association or organization.
H. I. All civil actions must be initiated within two
years after the alleged violation of this section occurred.� A person
An individual or organization that prevails on a claim
brought pursuant to this section is entitled to monetary damages, including
damages for any psychological, emotional or physical harm suffered, reasonable
attorney fees and costs and any other appropriate relief.
I. J. For the purposes of this section: ,
1. "Athlete"
means an individual, including a student, who participates in any
interscholastic or intramural athletic team or sport.
2. "Athletic
association" means a league, corporation, association or organization that
has a primary purpose of sponsoring or administering extracurricular athletic
contests or competitions.
3. "School"
means either:
1. (a) A public or
private school that provides instruction in any combination of
kindergarten programs or grades one through twelve.
2. (b) An institution of higher
education.
4. "Sex"
means an individual's biological status as male or female as recorded at birth
on the individual's original birth certificate. END_STATUTE
Sec. 2. Severability
If a provision
of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid,
the invalidity does not affect other provisions or applications of the act that
can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this
end the provisions of this act are severable.
Sec. 3. Short title
This act may
be cited as the "Protect Girls' Sports in Arizona Act".
2. The Secretary of State
shall submit this proposition to the voters at the next general election as
provided by article IV, part 1, section 1, Constitution of Arizona.
PASSED BY THE HOUSE FEBRUARY 23, 2026.
PASSED BY THE SENATE JUNE 12, 2026.
FILED IN THE OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY
OF STATE JUNE 12, 2026.