H.R. 1183: Fair Play for Women Act
Sponsor
Alma Adams
Democrat · NC-12
Bill Progress
Latest Action · Feb 11, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
Schools claim equal girls' sports. This bill demands proof.
Why it matters
More than 50 years after Title IX, the bill's findings cite over 1 million fewer high school sports opportunities for girls than boys — and note that no college has ever been sued by the federal government for falling short. H.R. 1183 would force schools and athletic associations to publish detailed sports-spending data every year, let athletes sue over sex-based discrimination, and face civil penalties for repeated noncompliance.
H.R. 1183, the Fair Play for Women Act, starts from a simple premise: a school that claims it treats girls and boys equally in sports should have to prove it in public.
The centerpiece is disclosure. Colleges would send athletics data to the Education Department by October 15 each year and post it publicly by February 15. K-12 schools would publish their reports by October 15 and file them with the department within 15 days.
Those reports go well past basic headcounts. Colleges would break out men's and women's data on roster spots, athletic aid, scholarships that cover full tuition or full cost of attendance, coach pay, revenues, expenses, and the race and ethnicity of athletes and coaches. K-12 schools would report team-by-team spending on travel, equipment, uniforms, facilities, medical staff, publicity, and coaching salaries.
The bill also opens a courtroom door. Current, prospective, and former athletes could sue a school or athletic association in federal or state court over sex-based discrimination, and judges could award compensatory damages, punitive damages, attorney's fees, and expert fees.
Enforcement would become routine. Every year the Education Department would flag schools out of compliance, and a school found short in 2 of the prior 5 years would have to file a public correction plan within 120 days. Schools and associations would run annual Title IX training for athletics staff, colleges would train athletes too, and the department would maintain a public, searchable database of every Title IX coordinator's name, phone, and email.
H.R. 1183 Bill Summary
What H.R. 1183 actually does.
Athletes can take a school to court
Current, prospective, and former athletes could sue a school or athletic association in federal or state court over sex-based discrimination in athletics. Courts could award compensatory damages — including for emotional distress and pain and suffering — plus punitive damages, attorney's fees, and expert fees.
College sports budgets get published every year
Colleges would report athletics data to the Education Department by October 15 and post it publicly by February 15. The reports would break out men's and women's data on participation, athletic aid, scholarships, coach pay, revenues, expenses, and the race and ethnicity of athletes and coaches.
K-12 teams report spending sport by sport
Elementary and secondary schools would make annual athletics reports public by October 15, then file them with the Education Department within 15 days. The reports would cover participation and team-level spending on travel, equipment, uniforms, facilities, medical personnel, publicity, and coach salaries.
Repeat violations trigger a public correction plan
A school or association found out of compliance in 2 or more of the prior 5 years would have to submit a public compliance plan within 120 days of notice. The Education Department could also impose a civil penalty, though the bill does not set a dollar amount.
Annual Title IX training for staff and college athletes
Athletic associations, colleges, and covered K-12 school systems would provide yearly training to athletics-related employees. Colleges would also train athletes each year, and that athlete training would have to be delivered by an outside expert who does not work for the athletic department.
A public directory of Title IX coordinators
The Education Department would build a public, searchable database listing each Title IX coordinator's name, phone number, and email address — so students, athletes, and parents can find who handles complaints without hunting through school websites.
Who benefits from H.R. 1183?
Girls and women who want to play
The bill's findings cite over 1 million fewer high school sports opportunities for girls than boys, and an estimated 148,000 additional college opportunities women would need to match men's participation rates. H.R. 1183 is aimed at making those gaps visible and easier to challenge.
Girls of color, who face the widest gaps
The bill's findings report that at high schools attended mostly by white students, girls have 82% of the sports opportunities boys have — but at schools attended mostly by students of color, girls have only 67%. Public data would put those differences on the record.
Current, future, and former student-athletes
You would not have to be on the roster today to bring a case. The bill lets prospective and former athletes sue as well, widening who can challenge sex-based discrimination in school sports.
Parents comparing what schools actually provide
Families would get published numbers instead of vague assurances. You could compare whether girls' and boys' teams get similar funding for travel, equipment, facilities, coaching, and scholarships.
Who is affected by H.R. 1183?
Colleges and universities with athletics programs
These schools would take on new annual reporting deadlines, public posting rules, and training requirements, and would need to track detailed data on aid, spending, and coaching pay. They could also face lawsuits and civil penalties.
K-12 school systems
School districts and other covered local educational agencies would collect and publish team-level athletics data every year. They would also train Title IX coordinators, athletics staff, PE and health staff, and student-athletes on a regular schedule.
State and intercollegiate athletic associations
Associations that govern school sports would be directly covered by the bill's anti-discrimination rules and annual training requirements. They could also face enforcement action if found out of compliance.
The Education Department
The department would issue guidance within 180 days, determine compliance every year, maintain the coordinator database, and publish institution-by-institution reports on participation and funding gaps every 2 years.
What Congress Is Saying
H.R. 1183 hasn't been debated on the floor yet.
This section updates when a legislator speaks about it on the floor or in committee.
HR1183 Legislative Journey
House: Committee Action
Feb 11, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
About the Sponsor
Alma Adams
Democrat, North Carolina's 12th congressional district · 12 years in Congress
Committees: Agriculture, Education and Workforce
View full profile →
Cosponsors (25)
All 25 cosponsors are Democrats. Cosponsors represent 17 states: Arizona, California, District of Columbia, and 14 more.
Suzanne Bonamici
Democrat · OR
Lori Trahan
Democrat · MA
Danny Davis
Democrat · IL
Nydia Velázquez
Democrat · NY
Linda Sánchez
Democrat · CA
Rick Larsen
Democrat · WA
Eleanor Norton
Democrat · DC
Henry Johnson
Democrat · GA
Maxine Waters
Democrat · CA
Sydney Kamlager-Dove
Democrat · CA
Shri Thanedar
Democrat · MI
Al Green
Democrat · TX
Committee Sponsors
Education and Workforce Committee
1 of 36 committee members cosponsored
15 Democrats across this committee haven't cosponsored yet. Mobilize their constituents
What laws does H.R. 1183 change?
1 changes
Sections Amended
Section 2 of Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965
inserting after the item relating to section 8549C the following: ``Sec
H.R. 1183 Quick Facts
- Committee
- Education and Workforce
- Chamber
- House
- Policy
- Sports and Recreation
- Introduced
- Feb 11, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
Feb 11, 2025
Official Sources
Official bill page with status, text, sponsors, and actions for the Fair Play for Women Act.
Education Department overview of Title IX sex-discrimination protections that underpin the bill's athletics requirements.
Official U.S. Code text for Title IX statutory provisions referenced throughout the bill.
Education Department policy interpretation defining the three-part Title IX athletics compliance test the bill asks colleges to certify against.
Overview of the existing college athletics disclosure law (Section 485(g) of the Higher Education Act) that H.R. 1183 would expand with new participation, aid, and coaching-pay data.
Searchable federal database where colleges already report athletics participation, revenues, and expenses by sex — the disclosure system the bill would broaden.
The 2024 Government Accountability Office report cited in the bill's findings, showing 93% of colleges had women's athletic participation below their enrollment rate.
Official federal complaint page showing the existing administrative enforcement pathway for sex discrimination, background for the bill's new private right of action.
H.R. 1183 Common Questions
Is H.R. 1183 about transgender athletes?
No. Despite the "Fair Play for Women Act" name, H.R. 1183 doesn't address transgender athletes or who is eligible to compete. It targets equal funding, facilities, and opportunities for girls' and women's teams, plus public reporting on school sports spending.
Can athletes sue under H.R. 1183?
Yes. The bill would let current, prospective, and former athletes sue a school or athletic association in federal or state court over sex-based discrimination in sports.
What could an athlete win in a lawsuit?
Courts could award compensatory damages — covering financial loss, emotional distress, and pain and suffering — plus punitive damages, attorney's fees, and expert fees.
What sports data would colleges have to publish?
Colleges would break out men's and women's data on roster spots, athletic aid, scholarships, coach pay, revenues, expenses, and the race and ethnicity of athletes and coaches — posted publicly each year.
Would high schools have to report sports spending too?
Yes. K-12 schools that get federal funding and run sports would publish team-by-team spending on travel, equipment, uniforms, facilities, medical staff, publicity, and coaching salaries every year.
When would schools have to release these reports?
Colleges would send data to the Education Department by October 15 and post it publicly by February 15. K-12 schools would publish by October 15, then file with the department within 15 days.
What happens if a school keeps failing Title IX reviews?
The Education Department would flag noncompliant schools yearly. A school found short in 2 of the prior 5 years would have to file a public correction plan within 120 days, and could face a civil penalty — though the bill sets no dollar amount.
Does H.R. 1183 require Title IX training?
Yes. Athletic associations, colleges, and covered K-12 systems would train athletics staff every year. Colleges would also train athletes — using an outside expert, not someone from the athletic department.
Based on H.R. 1183 bill text
H.R. 1183 Bill Text
“To prohibit certain discrimination against athletes on the basis of sex by State athletic associations, intercollegiate athletic associations, and covered institutions of higher education, and for other purposes.”
Source: U.S. Government Publishing Office
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