Bill Text: TX HB3883 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to general definitions for and collection of governmental information regarding biological sex.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 37-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2023-03-20 - Referred to State Affairs [HB3883 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-HB3883-Introduced.html
88R12338 EAS-D | ||
By: Troxclair | H.B. No. 3883 |
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relating to general definitions for and collection of governmental | ||
information regarding biological sex. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. FINDINGS. The legislature finds that: | ||
(1) males and females possess unique immutable | ||
biological differences that manifest prior to birth and increase as | ||
individuals age and experience puberty; | ||
(2) biological differences between the sexes mean that | ||
only females are able to get pregnant, give birth, and breastfeed | ||
children; | ||
(3) biological differences between the sexes mean that | ||
males are, on average, bigger, stronger, and faster than females; | ||
(4) biological differences between the sexes leave | ||
females more physically vulnerable than males to specific forms of | ||
violence, including sexual violence; | ||
(5) females have historically suffered discrimination | ||
in education, athletics, and employment; | ||
(6) biological differences between the sexes are | ||
enduring and may, in some circumstances, warrant the creation of | ||
separate social, educational, athletic, or other spaces in order to | ||
ensure individuals' safety and allow members of each sex to succeed | ||
and thrive; | ||
(7) inconsistencies in court rulings and policy | ||
initiatives with regard to the definitions of "sex," "male," | ||
"female," "man," and "woman" have led to endangerment of single-sex | ||
spaces and resources, necessitating clarification of certain | ||
terms; | ||
(8) in the context of biological sex: | ||
(A) "equal" does not mean "same" or "identical"; | ||
and | ||
(B) separate is not inherently unequal; | ||
(9) there are legitimate reasons to distinguish | ||
between the sexes with respect to athletics, prisons and other | ||
correctional facilities, domestic violence shelters, rape crisis | ||
centers, locker rooms, restrooms, and other areas where biology, | ||
safety, or privacy are implicated; and | ||
(10) policies and laws that distinguish between the | ||
sexes are subject to intermediate constitutional scrutiny, which | ||
forbids unfair discrimination against similarly situated males and | ||
females but allows the law to distinguish between the sexes where | ||
such distinctions are substantially related to important | ||
governmental objectives. | ||
SECTION 2. Section 311.005, Government Code, is amended by | ||
adding Subdivisions (14), (15), (16), (17), (18), (19), and (20) to | ||
read as follows: | ||
(14) "Boy" means a child of the male sex. | ||
(15) "Father" means a parent of the male sex. | ||
(16) "Female" and "woman" mean an individual whose | ||
biological reproductive system is developed to produce ova. | ||
(17) "Girl" means a child of the female sex. | ||
(18) "Male" and "man" mean an individual whose | ||
biological reproductive system is developed to fertilize the ova of | ||
a female. | ||
(19) "Mother" means a parent of the female sex. | ||
(20) "Sex" means a person's biological sex, either | ||
male or female. | ||
SECTION 3. Chapter 2051, Government Code, is amended by | ||
adding Subchapter G to read as follows: | ||
SUBCHAPTER G. VITAL STATISTICS INFORMATION COLLECTION BY | ||
GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY | ||
Sec. 2051.251. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, | ||
"governmental entity" has the meaning assigned by Section 2051.041. | ||
Sec. 2051.252. VITAL STATISTICS INFORMATION COLLECTION BY | ||
GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY. A governmental entity that collects vital | ||
statistics information that identifies the biological sex of an | ||
individual for the purpose of complying with antidiscrimination | ||
laws or for the purpose of gathering public health, crime, | ||
economic, or other data shall identify each individual as either | ||
male or female. | ||
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |