Kat Cammack

U.S. Rep. Kat Cammack is co-sponsoring a bill named "The Riley Gaines Act."

The bill would allow female athletes to sue institutions that permit biological males to compete in women's sports.

It is named for swimmer Riley Gaines, who competed against transgender athlete Lia Thomas.

U.S. Rep. Kat Cammack, R-Gainesville, is co-sponsoring a federal House bill that would allow civil action against higher education institutions and athletic associations that permit a biological male student to compete against female student-athletes.

Cammack represents Florida's 3rd Congressional District, which covers all of Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Levy, Suwannee and Union counties, and parts of Lafayette and Marion counties.

Cammack announced Feb. 23 that she's co-sponsoring Virginia Republican Rep. John McGuire's bill HR 7368, also known as "The Riley Gaines Act," named after former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines.

Gaines became an advocate against the inclusion of transgender women in women's sports after Penn swimmer Lia Thomas, a transgender athlete, beat Gaines in a 500-yard freestyle event and tied for fifth in a 200-yard freestyle event during the 2022 NCAA Women's Swimming Championships at Georgia Tech.

Cammack said the bill is designed to hold institutions accountable if they act negligently or recklessly. The legislation would allow female athletes to sue for physical injuries sustained while competing against a biological male, provide a cause of action for damages such as the loss of scholarships or professional athletic opportunities, and strengthen protections aimed at preserving fairness and safety in women’s and girls’ athletics.

“Women’s sports are for women. Period,” Cammack said. “Forcing female athletes to compete against biological males is unfair, unsafe, and a direct assault on decades of progress under Title IX. Riley Gaines had the courage to stand up after experiencing this firsthand. This legislation ensures female athletes are no longer silenced and finally have the legal tools to fight back.”

Gaines, a 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year nominee, gained national attention for speaking about her experience across multiple platforms, including appearances with the late Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk and on the popular Joe Rogan Experience podcast.

On Sept. 25, 2025, Gaines and nearly two dozen other athletes filed a lawsuit against the NCAA that was largely dismissed on Sept. 25. However, the judge ruled the Title IX claims against the NCAA can proceed to the next stage, which is likely to be discovery.

The original class-action lawsuit, filed in March 2024, alleges the NCAA and Georgia Tech knowingly violated Title IX — the five-decade-old federal law guaranteeing equal opportunities for men and women in college athletics — by allowing transgender athletes to compete.

U.S. District Judge Tiffany R. Johnson wrote in a ruling obtained by USA TODAY Sports that issues related to Georgia and Georgia Tech were moot.