INDIANA—A new law will take effect in Indiana on July 1, 2025, impacting student eligibility in interscholastic athletic events at state and certain private postsecondary educational institutions.
The legislation H.E.A. 1041, P.L. 83-2025, mandates that these institutions must expressly designate each athletic team or sport as either: (1) male, men’s, or boys’; (2) female, women’s, or girls’; or (3) coeducational or mixed.
A key provision of the new law prohibits male students, based on their biological sex at birth as determined by genetics and reproductive biology, from participating in any athletic team or sport designated for female, women’s, or girls’ teams.
Furthermore, the law requires these educational institutions to establish grievance procedures for addressing any alleged violations of these new regulations. It also establishes a civil action pathway for individuals who believe these provisions have been violated.
Conversely, the legislation provides a shield against liability. State educational institutions and qualifying private postsecondary institutions will not be subject to civil, administrative, disciplinary, or criminal action for acting in compliance with the requirements outlined in H.E.A. 1041.
The bill’s full text can be accessed here on the Indiana General Assembly website.
This new law is expected to significantly change the landscape of interscholastic sports in Indiana. It will focus on biological sex at birth as the determining factor for participation in female-designated teams. State educational institutions will now be tasked with implementing these new designation requirements and establishing the necessary grievance procedures before the July 1st effective date.
