New Bill Forces Sex-Segregated Locker Rooms in All Federally Funded Schools, Restricting Transgender Student Access

The “Keep Our Girls Safe Act of 2025” is short, but its impact on school facilities and student life is anything but. This bill amends Title IX, the federal law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in education, to specifically mandate that schools and educational programs receiving federal funds cannot allow someone of one sex into a locker room while people of a different sex are actively using it for a school activity (SEC. 2). Essentially, if a girls’ sports team is changing, no one designated male can be present, and vice versa. This rule kicks in 30 days after the bill becomes law (SEC. 3).

The New Rulebook for School Facilities

For most schools, this bill establishes a clear, hard line on the use of sex-segregated facilities during activities. While existing Title IX guidance has often been interpreted to allow transgender students to use facilities aligning with their gender identity, this new rule overrides that interpretation by explicitly prohibiting access based on the binary definition of 'sex.' This means that a transgender girl, whose sex assigned at birth was male, would be legally barred from using the girls' locker room, even if she lives and identifies as female full-time. The bill is procedural, defining the scope through Title IX, but its substantive effect is restrictive, focusing on biological sex for facility access.

Who Feels the Change?

The most immediate and profound impact will fall on transgender students. For a trans student who has been participating in sports or P.E. and using the facilities consistent with their gender identity, this bill forces them back into a facility that does not align with who they are—or potentially forces them to avoid changing facilities altogether. This isn't just about inconvenience; it’s about inclusion and safety. When a student is barred from using the appropriate facilities, it can create significant barriers to participation in school activities, affecting everything from sports teams to drama club costume changes. Schools, too, face a challenge. They will have to implement and enforce these new restrictive policies, potentially creating administrative headaches and legal challenges, especially in districts that currently have inclusive policies in place.

The Vague Enforcement Challenge

One complication is that the bill uses the term “sex” but doesn't define it within the context of the law, which leaves room for interpretation—or, more likely, conflict. Does “sex” mean the designation on a birth certificate, or is it determined by physical characteristics? This vagueness (Level: Medium) means that schools might struggle with consistent enforcement, potentially leading to situations where school officials are forced to make snap judgments about a student's sex based on appearance, which is intrusive and prone to error. Furthermore, the prohibition only applies when the locker room is “actively using it as part of a school or educational activity.” This could lead to a messy situation where schools try to police the exact timing of when an activity begins and ends, adding unnecessary complexity to an already sensitive issue.