An Act relative to defending the autonomy and integrity of student athletes and coaches

This bill (HD 62) prohibits public schools from requiring student athletes on single-sex sports teams to compete against teams including athletes of the opposite sex. It also prevents schools from penalizing athletes who refuse to play in such matches or coaches who forfeit matches for this reason. The law extends this protection to athletic organizations like the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association, allowing forfeits to be recorded as losses but not imposing additional penalties on schools, coaches, or athletes. It directly affects public school student athletes, coaches, and athletic officials in single-sex sports programs.