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February 7, 2025 Edition

Between President Trump’s intense, high octane opening days of his second term, our 2nd Annual Run2Win Conference, and a hectic first 13 days of the 2025 legislative session, your Frontline team is staying busy!

See below for a series of updates on what is happening. Our plan will be to send these out regularly on Mondays throughout the legislative session (yes, we know today is Saturday, but there was too much to wait until Monday). In addition to the newsletters, we will be sending updates as needed on urgent happenings as well.

A Trio of Wins for Girls Sports

On Tuesday, we were honored to be invited to join Speaker Jon Burns, Representative Josh Bonner, and other members of the House Republican Caucus for a press conference announcing the filing of HB 267, which we have been given permission to dub “The Riley Gaines Act.”

Our President, Cole Muzio, and I were honored to speak and be invited to join the Speaker and the bill sponsor, Rep. Bonner, for a photo afterward. The entire House Republican Caucus signed this crucial legislation! We will provide updates on the date and time when this bill will be heard in committee. See bill language at: [[link removed]]

On Wednesday, National Girls and Women in Sports Day, I was proud to be in D.C. celebrating the signing of Trump’s executive order to accomplish, “Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports.” See the executive order here: [[link removed]]

Trump took another step in standing up for biological sex and female athletes. This Executive Order rescinds all federal funds from educational programs that allow males to compete in women’s and girls’ athletics, violate female spaces, or fail to ensure equal athletic opportunities for women and girls under Title IX. In regards to enforcement, among other things, this Order promotes international sports policies that safeguard female categories in sports, including advocating for changes at the United Nations and with the International Olympic Committee.

General Counsel, Chelsea Thompson, with Speaker Jon Burns and Congressman Rich McCormick in D.C. celebrating the win for female athletes from Trump’s executive order.

After Trump’s executive order, on Thursday, February 6th, the NCAA has also updated its participation policy for transgender student-athletes. Another victory for girls across the nation. The updated policy restricts participation in female sports to athletes assigned female at birth. NCAA President, Charlie Baker, emphasized the need for clear, consistent eligibility standards, viewing Trump’s executive order as providing a national framework. This policy change affects over 500,000 athletes across more than 1,200 schools.

While we celebrate this Executive Order and the leadership of President Trump - passing strong legislation that can endure the test of time and codify definitions and protections remains paramount!

And, on Thursday, SB 1 the “Fair and Safe Athletic Opportunities Act”, sponsored by Greg Dolezal, passed the Senate 35-17, with bi-partisan support.

As said by our President, Cole Muzio, in a statement to the AJC, “I’m excited and grateful to see such unity at the Capitol in support of this pivotal issue. Both Chambers and leadership throughout the building have made protecting girls and taking a stand for what is right the top priority this session. We look forward to seeing nation-leading legislation be signed into law soon that recognizes biological realities and protects girls’ sports and spaces for the duration of their education.”

It was rewarding to see Sen. Dolezal pass legislation after leading a summer Study Committee on the subject. His tireless efforts, as well as those of Lt. Governor Burt Jones, have not gone unnoticed. Even before the results of the election in November made this mandate clear, his leadership was unwavering. See bill language at: [[link removed]]

Behind the Scenes: What Frontline is Looking for with “Girls Sports” Language

Since this summer, Frontline has made publicly available legislation that I drafted in-house. We believe this to be the strongest, clearest in the country, and it’s why Riley Gaines has given us permission to use her name with efforts that match our draft.

In drafting this legislation, I worked to make sure it was sound, avoided loopholes, and had strong definitions to prevent ambiguity and litigation. It is important to define sex terms (‘sex’, ‘male,’ ‘female,’ ‘woman,’ ‘man’) based on reproductive capacity, and avoid such terms as ‘gender’ since this is associated with a more fluid definition of sex or gender identity or is based on stipulation or self identification.

Also, we are very careful to define ‘sex’ as just that, ‘sex.’ Not biological sex or biological male. There isn’t a special kind of ‘sex.’ Sex does not need to be qualified. It is binary, either male or female. Further, a strong girls’ sports bill will include:

Safeguarding female-only spaces (ensuring separate locker rooms, changing rooms, restrooms, sleeping quarters, etc.)

Make a clear mandate that athletic teams be designated as either: male, female, or co-ed.

Prohibit males from competing in athletic opportunities, taking roster spots and scholarships intended for women at all levels, including collegiate sports

Provide consistency in the state’s code (e.g. replace ‘gender’ with ‘sex’)

Frontline Testifies for Sen. Blake Tillery’s SB 39 - Banning Taxpayer Funding of “Gender Reassignment”

After the press conference on The Riley Gaines Act on Tuesday, I was proud to represent Frontline in support of Senator Blake Tillery’s SB 39, which prohibits state healthcare facilities and healthcare providers employed by the state from paying for procedures or chemicals for the purpose of “gender transitioning.”

Sen. Tillery, the Chairman of Appropriations, is actively working to both protect our values and steward our tax dollars by ensuring Georgia taxpayer dollars should not be used to fund attempted sex change surgeries including out-of-state trans-surgeriers for minors. SB 39 was presented in committee on Tuesday, February 4th, and passed 6-3. See our full testimony at: [[link removed]] (Skip to 26:27 for SB 39)

General Counsel, Chelsea Thompson, provided testimony in support of SB 39

Sen. Ed Setzler Introduces SB 36 (Religious Freedom Restoration Act)

Last legislative session, Sen. Ed Setzler sponsored RFRA and passed the legislation out of the Senate with a party-line vote. Unfortunately, the bill did not make its way across the finish line, and now he’s back again.

This time, every member of the Senate Republican Caucus has signed on to co-sponsor this critical bill! RFRA is a law that protects individuals' religious freedoms from government infringement. Simply put, it creates a standard to ensure that the government cannot substantially burden a person’s exercise of religion unless the government can prove that its actions pass the highest level of scrutiny. For more information and resources on RFRA see our RFRA Frontline Agenda page: [[link removed]] We will provide updates on the date and time when this bill will be heard in committee. See bill language at: [[link removed]]

HB 133 (for Release Time Instruction) Introduced by Rep. David Clark

In 1952, the Supreme Court ruled that it is constitutional for children to receive religious education during school hours (Zorach v. Clauson). However, the religious instruction program must meet three conditions by being:

Off school property

Privately funded

Parent permitted

HB 133, the Student Character Development Act sponsored by Rep. David Clark, ensures this right by codifying protections that respect students' constitutional rights, allowing them to participate in such programs.

Frontline is proud to consider Lifewise Academy a strong friend and ally in this effort to bring religious education to our students, and we were honored to host their Founder, Joel Penton, at our Run2Win Conference.

We will provide updates on the date and time when this bill will be heard in committee. See bill language at: [[link removed]]

Sen. Watson’s Bill (SB 30) Banning Puberty Blockers for Purpose of “Gender Transitioning” to be Heard Next Week

Last year, Sen. Ben Watson brought a strong bill to prevent the use of puberty blockers in minors for the purposes of gender transition. While it passed the Senate, the bill did not cross the finish line, so it is a priority again for Senator Watson and Frontline this year.

Time and again, we see the studies and medical research showing the permanent and irreversible harms of these procedures on our minors. It’s time to close the loophole in the law and protect our children from the immense dangers of gender ideology.

We will be at the Capitol this week testifying in support of this bill. It will be heard in committee on Wednesday, February 12th. See bill language at: [[link removed]]

Legislative Quick Updates:

SB 9 - “Ensuring Accountability for Illegal AI Activities Act” sponsored by Senator John Albers, ensures that AI doesn’t get abused for illegal purposes. This bill makes it a crime to distribute, request, or possess computer-generated obscene images of children, including those made with AI. SB 9 was presented in committee on Monday, February 3rd, but did not receive a vote as it was referred for additional amendments. See bill language at: [[link removed]] Watch committee meeting at: [[link removed]] (Skip to 26:15 for SB 9)

SB 21 - This bill, sponsored by Senator Blake Tillery, clarifies HB 1105 from 2024, and waives sovereign immunity for local governments and their officials in cases of violations of immigration sanctuary policies, requiring sheriffs and jailers to comply with immigration detainer requests from the Department of Homeland Security. SB 21 was presented in committee on Wednesday, February 5th, and passed 5-3. See bill language at: [[link removed]]. Watch committee meeting at: [[link removed]] (Skip to 18:20 for SB 21)

SB 22 - Sponsored by Senator Blake Tillery, improves government transparency and requires the Georgia Department of Education to publish relevant federal education guidance documents and related information for public review. SB 22 was presented on Tuesday, February 4th and passed unanimously. See bill language at: [[link removed]]. Watch committee at: [[link removed]] (Skip to 24:20 for SB 22)

ALL ENDORSED BILLS (to date):

SB 1 - Fair and Safe Athletic Opportunities Act sponsored by Sen. Greg Dolezal.

SB 9 - “Ensuring Accountability for Illegal AI Activities Act” sponsored by Senator John Albers

SB 21 -Tightens up illegal immigration enforcement, sponsored by Senator Blake Tillery

SB 22 - Improves government transparency and education accountability, sponsored by Senator Blake Tillery

SB 30 - Prohibits the use of hormone treatments in minors for purposes of gender transition, sponsored by Sen. Ben Watson

SB 36 - Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), sponsored by Sen. Ed Setzler

SB 39 - Prevents tax payer dollars from funding gender affirming surgeries, sponsored by Senator Blake Tillery

SB 57 - The “Freedom of Speech and Belief Act” sponsored by Senator Blake Tillery

HB 133 - “Student Character Development Act” sponsored by Rep. David Clark

HB 267 - The “Riley Gaines Act” sponsored by Rep. Josh Bonner

If you are interested in testifying or joining our Legislative Advocacy Team please reply to this email!

Also, for legislators and allies, please contact me to let me know if you request Frontline’s endorsement for a particular piece of legislation. While we monitor all bills that have been introduced, there may be legislation that we are open to supporting that are not currently on our list.

Can you help deliver Bibles?

A generous supporter has provided Frontline with Bibles to share with our Georgia legislators. With one of the largest legislatures in the world, however, this will be a time-consuming task!

We are planning a day at the Capitol whereby we can distribute God’s Word to nearly every legislator, with their name inscribed. Would you be willing to serve as a volunteer for this undertaking?

Please email Lauren Daniel at [[email protected]] to share your interest in serving in this capacity.

Next Full Update Coming to you Monday, February 17th!

As the legislative session kicks into high gear, we update you in this full, detailed format every Monday. We will provide specific updates and opportunities to engage as they arise next week and moving forward as well.

In the meantime, know that our team is working hard every day for you, for your family, for your business, your church, and the future of our state and nation.

If you’d like to help fund these efforts - supporting Georgia’s most impactful pro-family movement - we humbly ask that you consider a one-time gift of $25, $100, $250, or more - OR please consider becoming a monthly Pro-Family Champion by selecting the option to become a recurring donor! [[link removed]]

Thank you for the opportunity to serve you.

Taking a stand,

Chelsea Thompson

General Counsel, Frontline Policy

[email protected]

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Newnan, Georgia 30263

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