Alabama House Bill 261 (HB261) is a 2023 law in the U.S. state of Alabama that prohibits colleges and universities from allowing individuals to compete in sports teams differing from their sex assigned at birth, thereby prohibiting transgender people from competing in sports aligning with their gender identity. It was signed into law by governor Kay Ivey on May 30, 2023.
House Bill 261 was an expansion upon House Bill 391, a 2021 bill which prohibited K-12 schools from allowing individuals to compete in sports differing from their sex assigned at birth. The bill was criticized by civil rights organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union and Human Rights Campaign, for discriminating against transgender and gender non-conforming people.
House Bill 261 was sponsored in the House by Republican representative Susan DuBose. In the Alabama House of Representatives, 14 lawmakers abstained, and 5 voted against it, with the final vote being 83-5. The Alabama Senate approved the bill in May 2023 by a vote of 26-4.
House Bill 261 prohibits individuals from competing in a sports team or league that differs from their sex as determined in state law. Individuals are identified as either male or female in the law based upon biological sex characteristics. The ban still applies to those who have undergone gender-affirming hormone therapy. The bill does not affect co-ed sports.