Latest News from State Capitol and 55th District

July 10, 2025

Procedure Misuse Leads to Blocked Women’s Sports Protection Proposal

In the past, I have written about my belief that it is unfair for female athletes to compete against someone born as a male. At my core set of values as an elected official, I believe constituents deserve to know their members’ position on this issue.

But this column will not directly be about legislation titled the Save Women’s Sports Act. This column will be about a procedural motion used by the majority party in the House of Representatives to block the proposal and avoid taking a position on an issue.

Senate Bill 9 proposes that school athletic teams designated for female students be closed to males. The legislation defines “sex” as the biological distinction between male and female, based on reproductive biology and genetic make-up.

The legislation passed in the Senate in May with bipartisan support, 32-18, but has sat idle in the House Education Committee. The only way to bring legislation to the floor if a committee chair will not bring it to a vote is by using a discharge resolution. Therefore, House Republicans, who have one less member than House Democrats, introduced a discharge resolution, House Resolution 281. If passed by a simple majority of votes on the House floor, Senate Bill 9 would be “discharged” from committee for consideration by the full House.
 
A day later, however, the House Education Committee finally put forth Senate Bill 9 for a committee vote. But instead of considering a yes or no vote to advance the bill out of committee for consideration by the full House, it was a vote to “re-refer” Senate Bill 9 to the House Health Committee. With a partisan vote, the bill is now under the purview of that committee, instead of before the entire House for a vote.

The legislation belongs in the House Education Committee because it deals directly with athletic participation, which is administered by Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association. School sports are part of Pennsylvania’s education system and our culture as a whole. This is not a health issue.

Because discharge resolutions apply only to the committee where a bill is languishing at the time, those wanting the proposal to become law must wait 15 legislative days before seeking a second discharge resolution, this time from the House Health Committee. This further delay makes it difficult to see the proposal become law prior to the beginning of the 2025-26 school year.

This is unacceptable, not only for the thousands of high school and college women athletes that Senate Bill 9 seeks to help but to every Pennsylvanian.

There are arguments and counter arguments for every legislative idea. In some members’ districts, one topic can be highly controversial while in other parts of the state, the same topic may easily lean in one direction. I get it – some votes are just hard to make. Legislators have to make tough votes, knowing that we can't please everyone. You may dislike my vote. You may dislike my take on any given issue. But you will know where I stand. And I will never run scared from a topic.

Lawmakers are elected to make tough choices and stand behind their decisions. This responsibility must not be avoided.

For myself, I earned athletic accolades as the female athlete of the year in college and high school. Years later, I had the joy of watching my daughter excel in high school and college athletics. There are unique challenges faced by women athletes. Having to compete against a biological male simply stacks the deck against females. This is why I support Senate Bill 9 and am a co-sponsor of the discharge resolution to move it forward.

The bill is not about denying anyone's participation in sports or marginalizing transgender student athletes; it is about ensuring fairness and preserving the opportunities that federal law, Title IX, was designed to protect. Women deserve the right to compete on a level playing field.

Some readers of this column, members of our community and Pennsylvania residents may disagree with me. They may even be angry with my stance on the matter.

But nevertheless, by “re-referring” Senate Bill 9, all of the Commonwealth’s residents were denied their opportunity to see their House members take a stance on an important topic.

In the coming weeks, the 15 legislative days will pass, and supporters of Senate Bill 9 will seek a second discharge resolution. It is my hope that the majority party will cease using procedural maneuvers and allow the vote to occur. I will be certain to keep you informed.

Here are some additional news topics and reminders I would like to share.

Community Fair Event Friday – Be sure to join me for my Community Health, Wellness and Career Fair this Friday, July 18, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Knead Community Café, located at 1011 Barnes St. in New Kensington. This is a free event to make it easy for residents throughout the 55th District to meet the organizations that serve our neighborhoods! Food will be available for purchase. Feel free to contact my New Kensington district office at 724-472-4102 with any questions.

Grant Opportunities for Pedestrian, Cyclist Safety Projects - PennDOT has announced $80 million in grant funding is available to help expand access to a range of transportation options and improve safe access to schools in communities across the Commonwealth. 

The grants come from the Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside (TASA) program, which provides funds to construct pedestrian and bicycle facilities, improve access to public transportation, create safe routes to school, create trail projects that serve a transportation purpose and more.

Funding is available to municipalities; regional transportation authorities; transit agencies; public land agencies; and school districts, local education agencies or schools. 

Applications will be accepted starting July 14. Draft applications must be submitted to the appropriate PennDOT district office by Sept. 5, and final applications are due by Oct. 31. Learn more by visiting Penn DOT’s website, going to the Research, Planning and Innovation section.

PGC Seeks Help Counting Turkeys - The Pennsylvania Game Commission again is seeking input from the public in surveying wild turkeys this summer. The Pennsylvania Wild Turkey Sighting Survey is open now through Aug. 31.

Participation is important for turkey population management. Survey data allow the agency to determine total wild turkey productivity and compare long-term reproductive success within Pennsylvania and across states, as this is a standard methodology used across the country. Data also are used in the turkey population model to track population trends.

Turkey sightings can be reported through the Game Commission’s website, selecting Wildlife and then Wilde Life Surveys. Participants are asked to record the number of wild turkeys they see, along with the county, township, wildlife management unit (WMU), date and contact information if agency biologists have any questions. Participants may also simply drop a “pin” on the map for the location data to automatically populate. Location data are used only for the survey, not for law enforcement and are not shared. 


Representative Jill Cooper
55th Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Jordan Frei
724.875.8450
jfrei@pahousegop.com
RepJillCooper.com / Facebook.com/RepJillCooper