Riley Gaines Act of 2025 passes Georgia General Assembly

Senate Bill 1, or the Riley Gaines Act of 2025, passed the Georgia General Assembly on Monday. 

The bill would ban transgender girls from participating in women’s sports across Georgia.

House Speaker Jon Burns and Lt. Governor Burt Jones said this was a priority for the 2025 legislative session.

“Today, the General Assembly sent a clear message—biological men are not welcome in girls’ sports or spaces here in Georgia,” Burns said. “The House was proud to support this measure, which builds on prior protections championed by the House, that protects integrity and fairness for the millions of female athletes who compete across our state. We’re grateful for the support of our colleagues in the Senate who worked alongside us to restore much-needed common sense to athletic competition, and to Riley Gaines who lent us her name and support in the fight to protect Georgia’s athletes.”

Jones applauded the passage of the bill.

“Today, the Georgia General Assembly made a historic step toward achieving a critical goal for this session, the protection of women’s sports,” said Lt. Governor Burt Jones. “Since I took office in 2023 as Lt. Governor, the Senate has led the way to make protections for females competing in athletics on any level a reality. I had the honor of joining President Trump earlier this year when he signed an executive order ensuring these protections on the federal level, and I am proud that Georgia is leading the way on this effort. I want to thank all of the brave women and girls who shared their personal stories and helped shaped this legislation. Their courage is commendable and ensures that the rights of female athletes are preserved and protected by law. I look forward to standing with Governor Brian Kemp, Speaker Jon Burns and female athletes with their families around the state when the ‘Riley Gaines Act of 2025’ is signed into law.”

The bill now heads to Governor Brian Kemp’s desk for a signature.