HARRISBURG — State House Reps. Stephanie Borowicz (R-Clinton/Union), Barb Gleim (R-Cumberland) and Martina White (R-Philadelphia) issued the following statement in reaction to passage of Senate Bill 9, the Save Women’s Sports Act, by the Senate Education Committee on Wednesday.

Senate Bill 9, sponsored by State Senator Judy Ward (R-30), would require players to be “biological females” to play on women’s school athletics teams.

Reps. Borowicz, Gleim and White — who are prime co-sponsors of House Bill 158, the Protect Women’s Sports Act — issued the following statement regarding the bill advancing to the Senate:

“We applaud the Senate Education Committee for taking an important step today by advancing the Save Women’s Sports Act out of committee. This legislation is critical to ensuring fairness, safety and equal opportunity for female athletes across the Commonwealth,” the statement reads.

“As prime co-sponsors of the Protect Women’s Sports Act (House Bill 158) in the House, we are committed to standing alongside our Senate colleagues to pass legislation that upholds the biological distinctions in sports and protects the integrity of women’s and girls’ athletics. Allowing males to compete on female sports teams undermines decades of hard-won progress and places young women at an undeniable disadvantage — on the field, in scholarship opportunities and in pursuit of athletic achievement,” the statement continues.

The representatives noted efforts to restore Title IX is good, but more work needs to be done.

“Recent federal efforts to restore Title IX to its original intent have been encouraging, but the fight is far from over. In too many states and local jurisdictions, policies remain in place that erode the protections Title IX was designed to guarantee. Our daughters deserve to practice, compete and succeed on a level playing field,” the statement continues.

They further noted this issue has been taken up by the General Assembly previously.

“This is not the first time the General Assembly has taken up this issue. We’ve passed this legislation in previous sessions, only to see it blocked by a veto from former Gov. Tom Wolf. Nearly 80% of Americans agree: men should not play on women’s sports teams. Our bill deserves the same consideration, and House Democratic leadership should promptly bring this issue to the floor for a full vote by the people’s elected representatives,” the statement reads.

“While much work remains, today marks a meaningful step forward in the modern fight for women’s rights, the defense of Title IX and ensuring that competitive sports remain a space where hard work, dedication and talent define success,” the statement concludes.