Attorney General Brown urges changes to college sports bill over transgender athlete provisions

The Protect College Sports Act, which would create nationwide rules for name, image and likeness deals, athlete compensation and other aspects of college sports, failed to advance in the Senate before the chamber recessed for August. Attorneys general from six Republican-led states, among them Utah’s Derek Brown, wrote to the bill’s sponsors urging clarification that the legislation would not preempt state statutes that prohibit biological males from competing in women’s events.

The letter warned that without such language the bill could spark extensive litigation over state authority. In response, Senators Josh Hawley, Jim Banks and Tommy Tuberville filed an amendment to safeguard those state bans, but Senate leaders postponed a vote until September. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said the reforms are ready for a vote next month, while the House remains without a comparable proposal, leaving the bill’s future uncertain before the November midterms.