PROP 318Sex-based rules for school sports and facilities
The measure would base participation in female school sports—and use of certain athletic restrooms, locker rooms, and showers—on sex recorded at birth on an original birth certificate.
The law, with a human translation.
A.R.S. § 15-120.02(A) · Team designations
A. Beginning on January 1, 2027, each school that sponsors an interscholastic or intramural athletic team or sport and each athletic association that sponsors an interscholastic or intramural sport shall expressly designate the athletic team or sport as one of the following, based on the biological sex of the athletes who participate on the athletic team or in the sport: 1. "Males", "men" or "boys". 2. "Females", "women" or "girls". 3. "Coeducational" or "mixed".
Schools and athletic associations must use one of the listed team categories beginning in 2027, based on participating athletes’ biological sex as the measure defines it.
A.R.S. § 15-120.02(B)–(C) · Eligibility
B. A school or athletic association may not open any interscholastic or intramural athletic team or sport that is designated for "females", "women" or "girls" to athletes of the male sex. C. This section does not restrict the eligibility of any 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 "coeducational" or "mixed".
Female-designated teams are closed to athletes of the male sex as defined, while sex-aligned, coeducational, and mixed participation remains available.
A.R.S. § 15-120.02(D) · Athletic private spaces
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.
The new facility rule bars a school, association, or its employees from authorizing use of an athletic private space designated for a different sex.
A.R.S. § 15-120.02(E) · Protection for separate female teams
E. A government entity, any licensing 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 athletes of the female sex.
The provision shields separate female teams from specified complaints, investigations, and adverse actions by public and private oversight bodies.
A.R.S. § 15-120.02(F)–(H) · Who may sue
F. Any 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. G. Any 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. 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 organization, accrediting organization or the athletic association or organization.
The measure supplies private lawsuits for harmed athletes, retaliated-against reporters, and harmed schools, with injunctions, damages, and other available relief.
A.R.S. § 15-120.02(I) · Deadline and damages
I. All civil actions must be initiated within two years after the alleged violation of this section occurred. 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.
The limitations period is two years, and a prevailing claimant receives damages, fees, costs, and other appropriate relief.
A.R.S. § 15-120.02(J) · Definitions
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: (a) A public or private school that provides instruction in any combination of kindergarten programs or grades one through twelve. (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.
The definitions determine the measure’s reach and make the original birth certificate the controlling record for sex.
Measure § 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.
The severability clause directs courts to preserve valid provisions and applications where possible.
Measure § 3 · Short title
This act may be cited as the "Protect Girls' Sports in Arizona Act".
Section 3 assigns the quoted short title.
Resolution ¶ 2 · Submission to voters
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.
The resolution refers the proposed statute to voters.
The measure defines sex only by what was recorded at birth on the original birth certificate, which directly affects transgender athletes.
Its private-space rule reaches colleges, private schools competing with public schools, and athletic associations—not only K–12 teams.
Arizona’s current sports law has faced federal court challenges; ballot approval would not prevent future constitutional litigation.
Read every word for yourself.
This is the complete adopted or enrolled document, reproduced from the official government source. Page and part labels follow the source file.
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)
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1 Be it resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of Arizona, the
2 Senate concurring:
3 1. Under the power of the referendum, as vested in the Legislature,
4 the following measure, relating to student athletics, is enacted to become
5 valid as a law if approved by the voters and on proclamation of the Governor:
6 AN ACT
7 AMENDING SECTION 15-120.02, ARIZONA REVISED STATUTES; RELATING
8 TO STUDENT ATHLETICS.
9 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
10 Section 1. Section 15-120.02, Arizona Revised Statutes,
11 is amended to read:
12 15-120.02. Interscholastic and intramural athletics;
13 designation of teams; biological sex;
14 designation of facilities; cause of action;
15 definitions
16 A. BEGINNING ON JANUARY 1, 2027, each SCHOOL THAT
17 SPONSORS AN interscholastic or intramural athletic team or sport
18 that is sponsored by a public school or a private school whose
19 students or teams compete against a public school AND EACH
20 ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION THAT SPONSORS AN INTERSCHOLASTIC OR
21 INTRAMURAL SPORT shall be expressly designated DESIGNATE THE
22 ATHLETIC TEAM OR SPORT as one of the following, based on the
23 biological sex of the students ATHLETES who participate on the
24 ATHLETIC team or in the sport:
25 1. "Males", "men" or "boys".
26 2. "Females", "women" or "girls".
27 3. "Coed" "COEDUCATIONAL" or "mixed".
28 B. A SCHOOL OR ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION MAY NOT OPEN ANY
29 INTERSCHOLASTIC OR INTRAMURAL athletic teams TEAM or sports
30 SPORT THAT IS designated for "females", "women" or "girls" may
31 not be open to students ATHLETES of the male sex.
32 C. This section does not restrict the eligibility of any
33 student ATHLETE to participate in any interscholastic or
34 intramural athletic team or sport THAT IS ALIGNED WITH THE
35 ATHLETE'S SEX OR THAT IS designated as being for "males", "men"
36 or "boys" or designated as "coed" "COEDUCATIONAL" or "mixed".
37 D. BEGINNING ON JANUARY 1, 2027, IF A SCHOOL OR ATHLETIC
38 ASSOCIATION PROVIDES AND MAINTAINS RESTROOMS, LOCKER ROOMS,
39 SHOWER ROOMS OR OTHER PRIVATE SPACES THAT ARE INTEGRAL TO
40 ATHLETIC ENGAGEMENT, THE SCHOOL OR ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION,
41 INCLUDING EMPLOYEES OF THE SCHOOL OR ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION, MAY
42 NOT AUTHORIZE ANY INDIVIDUAL TO USE A RESTROOM, LOCKER ROOM,
43 SHOWER ROOM OR OTHER PRIVATE SPACE THAT IS NOT DESIGNATED FOR
44 THAT INDIVIDUAL'S SEX.
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1 D. E. A government entity, any licensing or
2 ORGANIZATION, accrediting organization or any athletic
3 association or organization may not entertain a complaint, open
4 an investigation or take any other adverse action against a
5 school OR ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION for maintaining separate
6 interscholastic or intramural athletic teams or sports for
7 students ATHLETES of the female sex.
8 E. F. Any student ATHLETE who is deprived of an athletic
9 opportunity or suffers any direct or indirect harm as a result
10 of a school OR AN ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION knowingly violating this
11 section has a private cause of action for injunctive relief,
12 damages and any other relief available under law against the
13 school OR ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION.
14 F. G. Any student ATHLETE who is subject to retaliation
15 or another adverse action by a school or an athletic association
16 or organization as a result of reporting a violation of this
17 section to an employee or representative of the school or the
18 athletic association or organization, or to any state or federal
19 agency with oversight of schools in this state, has a private
20 cause of action for injunctive relief, damages and any other
21 relief available under law against the school or the athletic
22 association or organization.
23 G. H. Any school that suffers any direct or indirect
24 harm as a result of a violation of this section has a private
25 cause of action for injunctive relief, damages and any other
26 relief available under law against the government entity, the
27 licensing or ORGANIZATION, accrediting organization or the
28 athletic association or organization.
29 H. I. All civil actions must be initiated within two
30 years after the alleged violation of this section occurred.
31 A person AN INDIVIDUAL or organization that prevails on a claim
32 brought pursuant to this section is entitled to monetary
33 damages, including damages for any psychological, emotional or
34 physical harm suffered, reasonable attorney fees and costs and
35 any other appropriate relief.
36 I. J. For the purposes of this section: ,
37 1. "ATHLETE" MEANS AN INDIVIDUAL, INCLUDING A STUDENT,
38 WHO PARTICIPATES IN ANY INTERSCHOLASTIC OR INTRAMURAL ATHLETIC
39 TEAM OR SPORT.
40 2. "ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION" MEANS A LEAGUE, CORPORATION,
41 ASSOCIATION OR ORGANIZATION THAT HAS A PRIMARY PURPOSE OF
42 SPONSORING OR ADMINISTERING EXTRACURRICULAR ATHLETIC CONTESTS
43 OR COMPETITIONS.
44 3. "School" means either:
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1 1. (a) A PUBLIC OR PRIVATE school that provides
2 instruction in any combination of kindergarten programs or
3 grades one through twelve.
4 2. (b) An institution of higher education.
5 4. "SEX" MEANS AN INDIVIDUAL'S BIOLOGICAL STATUS AS MALE
6 OR FEMALE AS RECORDED AT BIRTH ON THE INDIVIDUAL'S ORIGINAL
7 BIRTH CERTIFICATE.
8 Sec. 2. Severability
9 If a provision of this act or its application to any
10 person or circumstance is held invalid, the invalidity does not
11 affect other provisions or applications of the act that can be
12 given effect without the invalid provision or application, and
13 to this end the provisions of this act are severable.
14 Sec. 3. Short title
15 This act may be cited as the "Protect Girls' Sports in
16 Arizona Act".
17 2. The Secretary of State shall submit this proposition to the voters
18 at the next general election as provided by article IV, part 1, section 1,
19 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.
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