S.Res. 785

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 785 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. RES. 785

Celebrating the accomplishments of title IX of the Education Amendments 
of 1972, also known as the Patsy Takemoto Mink Equal Opportunity in 
Education Act, and recognizing the need to continue pursuing the goal 
of educational opportunities for all women and girls.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

June 23, 2026

Ms. Hirono (for herself, Mrs. Murray, Ms. Baldwin, and Ms. Blunt 
Rochester) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

RESOLUTION

Celebrating the accomplishments of title IX of the Education Amendments 
of 1972, also known as the Patsy Takemoto Mink Equal Opportunity in 
Education Act, and recognizing the need to continue pursuing the goal 
of educational opportunities for all women and girls.

Whereas 54 years ago, on June 23, 1972, the Education Amendments of 1972 (Public 
Law 92-318; 86 Stat. 235) was signed into law by the President, and 
title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.) 
(in this preamble, referred to as ``title IX'') prohibits discrimination 
on the basis of sex in the administration of any education program or 
activity receiving Federal financial assistance;
Whereas title IX is a promise made by Congress that all students will have an 
equal chance to thrive in school, no matter their sex;
Whereas Representatives Patsy T. Mink and Edith Green, and Senator Birch Bayh, 
led the successful fight in Congress to pass this legislation, which 
they intended to be far-reaching in impact;
Whereas remarkable gains have been made to ensure equal opportunity for women 
and girls under the inspiration and mandate of title IX;
Whereas title IX serves as a landmark civil rights law alongside title VI of the 
Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 200d et seq.), section 504 of the 
Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794), and the Americans with 
Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.);
Whereas, in passing title IX, Congress recognized the insidious harm caused by 
stereotyped notions that treated women and girls as intellectually, 
academically, and athletically inferior to men and boys, perpetuating 
strict gender roles and sex-based inequality in education programs and 
activities;
Whereas title IX has moved the United States closer to achieving equal access 
and opportunities for women and girls in all aspects of life;
Whereas title IX has increased educational opportunities for women and girls, 
resulting in improved high school and college graduation rates, 
increased access to professional schools and nontraditional fields of 
study, and improved employment opportunities;
Whereas title IX has increased athletic opportunities for women and girls, 
leading to greater access to competitive sports, and building strong 
values such as teamwork, leadership, discipline, work ethic, self-
sacrifice, pride in accomplishment, and strength of character;
Whereas the Trump administration and longtime opponents of women's equality are 
now weaponizing title IX to hurt and exclude students who are 
transgender or who don't fit rigid sex stereotypes;
Whereas the Trump administration and opponents of women's equality are 
weaponizing title IX and State laws to eliminate academic studies and 
school programs that address historic and current gender-based 
inequities and promote diversity, equity, and inclusion of women, girls, 
and LGBTQIA+ students;
Whereas the Trump administration has undermined title IX by distorting the law 
and refusing to protect students from actual sex discrimination, 
including sexual harassment and assault, discrimination based on 
pregnancy and related conditions, discrimination in sports, and other 
sex discrimination;
Whereas the Office for Civil Rights of the United States Department of Education 
should receive sufficient resources and fully utilize such resources to 
employ necessary staff to prevent and respond to sex discrimination in 
education, including sexual harassment and assault, should enforce title 
IX to protect all students from discrimination based on sex (including 
sexual orientation, gender identity, sex characteristics, and pregnancy 
or related conditions), and should not be weaponized to marginalize, 
harm, or erase transgender, nonbinary, or intersex students, or any 
student who does not conform to sex stereotypes or strict gender roles;
Whereas, on June 16, 2026, the Trump administration announced inter-agency 
agreements to illegally transfer the responsibilities of the Office for 
Civil Rights of the United States Department of Education, including 
title IX enforcement, from the Department of Education to the Department 
of Justice, in contravention of authorizing and appropriations law;
Whereas the Department of Justice does not have the expertise to support the 
specialized needs of students and educational institutions through 
efficient processing of individual complaints of discrimination in 
educational settings, and this transfer will fragment civil rights 
enforcement for students, create confusion for schools and institutions 
of higher education, and undermine the ability to ensure that title IX 
is implemented properly and students obtain timely resolution of their 
complaints;
Whereas Congress has appropriated funds to the Office for Civil Rights of the 
Department of Education to enforce Federal education civil rights laws 
and must ensure that Federal agencies carry out the laws it has enacted, 
including title IX;
Whereas students across the United States deserve a Federal civil rights 
enforcement office at the Department of Education that will protect 
their rights and ensure that the promise of title IX is fulfilled for 
all students;
Whereas, despite 54 years of progress under title IX--

(1) broad sex-based stereotypes continue to limit educational 
opportunities for women, girls, and LGTBQIA+ students;

(2) sexual harassment remains pervasive in schools and on college 
campuses;

(3) women and girls face substantial barriers in pursuing education to 
enter high-wage fields in subjects such as science, technology, 
engineering, and math;

(4) pregnant and parenting students continue to be pushed out of school 
due to lack of support and accommodations;

(5) women's and girls' sports teams are not treated equally to men's 
and boys', do not receive an equal share of resources, and receive fewer 
recruiting and scholarship dollars at the college level;

(6) athletic participation opportunities still lag behind those 
provided for men and boys; and

(7) girls and women of color continue to be scrutinized, marginalized, 
and discriminated against because they do not conform to stereotypes of 
white femininity; and

Whereas there is still much work to be done if the promise of title IX is to be 
fulfilled: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) celebrates--
(A) the progress of title IX of the Education 
Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.) (in this 
resolution, referred to as ``title IX''), also known as 
the Patsy Takemoto Mink Equal Opportunity in Education 
Act;
(B) increased opportunities for women and girls in 
all facets of education; and
(C) protections for all students (including those 
who are women, girls, LGBTQIA+, pregnant, or survivors 
of sexual harassment) from discrimination based on sex;
(2) applauds the magnificent accomplishments of women and 
girls in all areas of life in the United States;
(3) recognizes that, despite progress being made, much work 
still remains to secure the rights and opportunities guaranteed 
by title IX, so that no federally funded educational 
institution shall discriminate against any individual on the 
basis of sex;
(4) calls upon the executive branch to protect the rights 
of individuals to fairness and safety at school by working to 
ensure schools prevent and respond to discrimination and 
harassment on the basis of sex, including based on--
(A) pregnancy and related medical conditions;
(B) actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender 
identity, and sex characteristics;
(C) sex stereotypes; and
(D) sex-based harassment, including sexual 
harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic 
violence, and sex-based stalking; and
(5) condemns the weaponization of title IX to harm 
vulnerable students, particularly women and girls who are 
transgender and intersex, and nonbinary students, and to 
dismantle programs aiming to promote diversity, equity, and 
inclusion of women and girls in education.
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