Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed HB261, extending the state's transgender sports ban to public colleges

On May 30, 2023, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey signed House Bill 261 into law, amending Section 16-1-52 of the Code of Alabama to prohibit transgender women and girls from participating on athletic teams designated for females at public two-year and four-year colleges and universities in the state. The measure extended Alabama's existing K-12 transgender sports restriction, enacted in 2021, to public higher education.

The enacted law requires public postsecondary institutions to designate teams by biological sex and bars adverse action against schools or institutions for complying, as well as against students who report suspected violations. In a statement accompanying the signing, Ivey said, "if you are a biological male, you are not going to be competing in women's and girls' sports in Alabama." The bill was carried by a large group of House sponsors and cleared the Legislature before reaching the governor's desk.

The law targets a specific group of students by law, restricting their participation in publicly funded athletics on the basis of gender identity and adding enforcement and anti-retaliation provisions covering both K-12 and higher education.