The Fair Play for Women Act is a comprehensive bill designed to address gender discrimination in school and college athletics and strengthen enforcement of Title IX protections. The legislation applies to public elementary and secondary schools, colleges and universities, and athletic associations that receive federal funding. It prohibits discrimination based on sex in athletic programs, including discrimination through rules, sports offerings, facilities, equipment, scholarships, and revenue distribution.
The bill requires extensive data collection and transparency, mandating that colleges report detailed information about athletic participation, scholarships, coaching salaries, revenues, and expenses broken down by gender and sport. Secondary schools must similarly report participation numbers, expenditures for teams, coaching salaries, and facility usage. All this information must be made publicly available online in searchable formats by specified deadlines. The legislation also requires annual training for school employees and athletic association staff on Title IX rights and complaint procedures, and mandates that student-athletes receive training on their protections at least once per year.
The bill creates a private right of action allowing students and athletes to sue schools, athletic associations, and colleges in federal or state court for violations, with potential awards including compensatory damages for financial injuries and emotional distress, punitive damages, and attorney's fees. It also establishes penalties through the Department of Education for noncompliance with the act's requirements, with schools in repeated violation required to submit compliance plans that are made public. The legislation addresses specific documented inequities, including that girls have over one million fewer athletic opportunities than boys at the high school level and that women's athletic programs receive substantially less funding than men's programs.