H.R. 6144: Male or Female Only Act
Sponsor
Ronny Jackson
Republican · TX-13
Bill Progress
Latest Action · Nov 19, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
Why it matters
If enacted, every federal agency would have just 60 days to remove gender identity questions and any sex option other than male or female from forms, surveys, and other documents.
HR6144, the “Male or Female Only Act,” would apply across the federal government to the head of any agency whenever information is collected through a form, survey, or other document. The core rule is blunt: agencies may not solicit or obtain any information regarding the gender or gender identity of an individual, and they may not offer any option to mark a person’s sex as something other than male or female.
The bill does more than ban future questions. It also requires agency heads to reject any response that states the gender or gender identity of an individual, and to reject any response stating that a person’s sex is something other than male or female. That means the measure is not just about redesigning forms; it also governs how agencies must handle answers they receive.
The timeline is fast. Agency heads would have to update all forms, surveys, and documents to comply not later than 60 days after the date of enactment. For agencies with large numbers of public-facing forms, internal records tools, grant paperwork, benefit applications, and surveys, that creates an immediate compliance deadline with no extra transition period spelled out in the bill.
The bill does not include a funding amount, grant program, civil fine, or criminal penalty in the text summarized here. Its enforcement mechanism is operational: agencies must remove noncompliant options and reject noncompliant responses. Supporters may see that as a push for uniform federal data collection centered only on male or female, while critics are likely to argue it erases gender identity information from federal records and blocks people from accurately identifying themselves on government paperwork.
What does H.R. 6144 do?
60-day deadline for all agency forms
The head of any agency must update all forms, surveys, and other documents to comply with the Act not later than 60 days after the date of enactment.
No gender or gender identity questions
Under Section 2(a)(1)(A), agency heads may not solicit or obtain any information regarding the gender or gender identity of an individual in any collection of information through a form, survey, or other document.
Only male or female allowed on forms
Under Section 2(a)(1)(B), agencies may not provide an option on any form, survey, or document to select or mark that the sex of an individual is something other than male or female.
Agencies must reject gender identity responses
Section 2(a)(2)(A) requires agency heads to reject any response stating the gender or gender identity of an individual, meaning agencies could not accept those answers even if a person volunteers them.
Agencies must reject any other sex category
Section 2(a)(2)(B) requires agency heads to reject any response stating that the sex of an individual is something other than male or female, creating a hard two-option rule for federal information collection.
Rule applies broadly to agency information collection
The bill applies to the head of any agency and covers any collection of information conducted through a form, survey, or other document, making the scope government-wide rather than limited to one program or department.
Who benefits from H.R. 6144?
Supporters of binary-only federal records
They would get a government-wide rule stating that federal forms, surveys, and documents may list only male or female and may not ask about gender or gender identity.
Agency officials seeking a uniform standard
The bill creates one clear rule for the head of any agency across all information collection tools, with a single compliance deadline of 60 days after enactment.
People who prefer not to see gender identity questions on federal forms
Agencies would be barred from soliciting or obtaining information regarding gender or gender identity, so those questions would have to be removed from covered federal paperwork.
Who is affected by H.R. 6144?
Transgender, nonbinary, and intersex people using federal forms
They could no longer provide gender identity information on covered federal forms, and agencies would have to reject responses stating a sex other than male or female.
Federal agencies and agency heads
They would have to review and update all covered forms, surveys, and documents within 60 days after enactment and reject noncompliant responses under Section 2(a)(2)(A) and 2(a)(2)(B).
Federal program administrators and data teams
They would need to change data collection practices because the bill bars obtaining information regarding gender or gender identity and limits sex options to male or female only.
People filling out federal surveys and applications
Anyone interacting with covered federal documents would see fewer options, because agencies could not provide any sex selection other than male or female and would reject certain volunteered responses.
H.R. 6144 Common Questions
How long would federal agencies have to remove gender identity options from forms under HR 6144?
Federal agencies would have 60 days after enactment to update all forms, surveys, and other documents, according to HR 6144 Section 2(b).
Can federal forms ask for gender identity under the Male or Female Only Act?
No. Under the Male or Female Only Act, agency heads may not solicit or obtain information about an individual's gender or gender identity (Section 2(a)(1)(A)).
Can federal forms include nonbinary or other sex options under HR 6144?
No. Under HR 6144, federal forms, surveys, and documents could only offer male or female as sex options, not any other category (Section 2(a)(1)(B)).
Does HR 6144 require agencies to reject responses that list gender identity?
Yes. According to HR 6144 Section 2(a)(2)(A), agency heads must reject any response stating an individual's gender or gender identity.
Does the Male or Female Only Act require agencies to reject sex entries other than male or female?
Yes. Under the Male or Female Only Act, agencies must reject any response stating a sex other than male or female (Section 2(a)(2)(B)).
Which federal agencies would have to follow the Male or Female Only Act?
The bill applies government-wide to the head of any Federal agency collecting information through a form, survey, or other document under Section 2.
Does HR 6144 apply only to surveys or also to federal forms and documents?
It applies broadly to any collection of information through a form, survey, or other document, according to HR 6144 Section 2.
Can someone voluntarily write in their gender identity on a federal form under HR 6144?
No. Under HR 6144 Section 2(a)(2)(A), agencies must reject responses that state a person's gender or gender identity, even if volunteered.
What are the only sex choices allowed on federal paperwork under the Male or Female Only Act?
Only male or female. Under the Male or Female Only Act, agencies may not provide any sex option other than male or female on forms, surveys, or documents (Section 2(a)(1)(B)).
Does HR 6144 create fines or criminal penalties for noncompliant federal forms?
The bill text summarized here does not create fines or criminal penalties; instead, it requires agencies to update documents and reject noncompliant responses under Section 2.
Based on H.R. 6144 bill text
HR6144 Legislative Journey
House: Committee Action
Nov 19, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
About the Sponsor
Ronny Jackson
Republican, Texas's 13th congressional district · 5 years in Congress
Committees: Foreign Affairs, House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Armed Services
View full profile →
Cosponsors (4)
All 4 cosponsors are Republicans. Cosponsors represent 4 states: Alabama, Arizona, South Carolina, and 1 more.
Committee Sponsors
Oversight and Government Reform Committee
1 of 46 committee members cosponsored
24 Republicans across this committee haven't cosponsored yet. Mobilize their constituents
H.R. 6144 Quick Facts
- Committee
- Oversight and Government Reform
- Chamber
- House
- Policy
- Government Operations and Politics
- Introduced
- Nov 19, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
Nov 19, 2025
Official Sources
Official Congress.gov page for the Male or Female Only Act, with bill text, status, and actions.
Official Federal Register notice showing current federal policy and data-collection practices related to gender identity across agencies, providing implementation context for the bill.
CDC’s official NHIS page is relevant because major federal surveys collect demographic information and could be affected by a government-wide restriction on sex and gender questions.
State Department’s official passport forms page is relevant because passport paperwork is a prominent example of federal forms that include sex markers and could need revision under the bill.
SSA’s official forms portal is relevant because the bill would require agencies government-wide to update forms and documents within 60 days of enactment.
USCIS’s official forms page is relevant because immigration applications are federal forms that could be affected by the bill’s male-or-female-only rule.
H.R. 6144 Bill Text
“To prohibit Federal agencies from providing on Federal forms, surveys, and documents, an option other than Male or Female to reference the sex of an individual, and for other purposes.”
Source: U.S. Government Publishing Office
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