Louisiana Legislature enacted SB 44, banning transgender girls from school sports, without governor's signature

On June 6, 2022, Louisiana's Senate Bill 44, the "Fairness in Women's Sports Act," became Act No. 283 without Gov. John Bel Edwards' signature. Under Louisiana's constitution, the governor had ten days to sign or veto the bill after it reached his desk; taking neither action let it become law on its own. The law requires athletic events and teams sponsored by a school receiving state funding to be "expressly designated, based upon biological sex," and specifies that teams designated for females, girls, or women "shall not be open to students who are not biologically female," barring transgender girls and women from K-12 and college female-designated sports, effective August 1, 2022.

The Louisiana Senate passed SB 44 on final passage before it moved to the House, which approved it 72-21 in May 2022; a similar bill had been vetoed by Edwards the previous year, and an override attempt fell short in the House. At a news conference the day the bill became law, Edwards said he remained opposed to the measure but had concluded lawmakers would override a second veto. Louisiana became at least the sixth state to enact this type of ban in 2022 alone.