Encouraging all public, private, and charter high schools, colleges, and universities in the United States to establish and support flag football programs for girls, and for other purposes.

Bill Number

H.Res. 587

Origin Chamber

House

Congress

119th Congress, Session 1

Policy Area

Sports and Recreation

Status

Introduced

Latest Action

2025-07-16: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.

Last Updated

2025-08-06T08:05:38Z

AI-Generated Summary

Purpose

This resolution (H. Res. 587) aims to promote gender equity in sports by encouraging educational institutions across the U.S. to create and support flag football programs specifically for girls and women. Flag football is a non-contact version of American football played without tackling, using flags to indicate when a player is "tackled."

Key Provisions

• Background Rationale: The resolution highlights that flag football for girls is rapidly growing in popularity and helps develop life skills like character, teamwork, resilience, leadership, and confidence through physical activity.
• Accessibility: It emphasizes the sport's low-contact nature, lack of height or weight limits, affordability, and inclusivity for girls of all skill levels.
• Current Trends: Notes that over 100 colleges already have varsity (official competitive) flag football teams for women and girls.
• Core Encouragement: Urges all public, private, and charter high schools, colleges, and universities to establish and support such programs to build on existing opportunities and benefit participants and communities.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

None. This is a non-binding House resolution, meaning it expresses the House of Representatives' opinion and does not create new laws, mandate actions, or amend existing statutes. It has no legal enforcement power.

Potential Impacts

• On Citizens: Could increase participation in sports among girls and women, fostering physical health, skill-building, and community engagement. It may expand opportunities in underserved areas, promoting inclusivity without high costs or injury risks.
• On Educational Institutions: Encourages voluntary program adoption, potentially leading to more varsity teams at high schools and colleges, but imposes no requirements or funding obligations.
• On Government Agencies: Minimal direct impact; the resolution was referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce for review, but it does not allocate federal resources or affect agency operations.
• On International Relations: None apparent, as the focus is domestic sports promotion.

Main Stakeholders Affected

• Girls and Women: Primary beneficiaries, gaining access to affordable, inclusive athletic opportunities.
• Educational Institutions: Public, private, and charter high schools, colleges, and universities, encouraged to invest time and resources in new programs.
• Communities: Towns, cities, counties, states, and local organizations that could see broader social and economic benefits from increased youth sports participation.
• Sponsors and Advocates: Representatives like Ms. Williams of Georgia and co-sponsors, who introduced it to highlight gender equity in athletics.

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications

• Legal: As a simple resolution, it carries no force of law and cannot be challenged in court. It aligns with broader efforts under Title IX (a federal law prohibiting sex-based discrimination in education, including sports) but does not enforce or expand it.
• Constitutional: No direct implications; it supports equal opportunity without infringing on free speech, due process, or other rights.
• Political: Signals bipartisan support for women's sports (introduced by Democrats but potentially appealing across parties) and could influence future funding or policy discussions on youth athletics and gender equity. It may encourage similar state-level initiatives without federal mandates.

This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.

Sponsor

Rep. Williams, Nikema [D-GA-5]

Cosponsors (7)

Rep. Cleaver, Emanuel [D-MO-5], Rep. Adams, Alma S. [D-NC-12], Rep. Meeks, Gregory W. [D-NY-5], Rep. Carson, André [D-IN-7], Rep. Kamlager-Dove, Sydney [D-CA-37], Rep. Ciscomani, Juan [R-AZ-6], Rep. Sykes, Emilia Strong [D-OH-13]

Recent Actions

• 2025-07-16: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
• 2025-07-16: Submitted in House
• 2025-07-16: Submitted in House

Bill Versions

• Encouraging all public, private, and charter high schools, colleges, and universities in the United States to establish and support flag football programs for girls, and for other purposes. — issued 2025-07-16 — PDF (2 pages)