Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1.

Section 15-120.02, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:

15-120.02. Interscholastic and intramural athletics; designation of teams; biological sex; designation of facilities; cause of action; definitions

A. Beginning on January 1, 2027, each school that sponsors an interscholastic or intramural athletic team and each athletic association that sponsors an interscholastic or intramural sport shall be expressly designate the athletic team or sport as one of the following, based on the 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”.

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”.

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.

E. A government entity, licensing organization, accrediting organization or any athletic association 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.

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 as a result of reporting a violation of this section to an employee or representative of the school or the athletic association, 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.

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, licensing organization, accrediting organization or the athletic association.

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.

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.

Sec. 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.

Sec. 3.

Short title

This act may be cited as the “Protect Girls’ Sports in Arizona Act”.

2. 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.