The House Civil Justice Subcommittee advanced legislation to clarify the definition of “sex” in Tennessee state law.
House Bill 239 would define the term as a person’s immutable biological sex as determined by anatomy and genetics existing at the time of birth and evidence of their biological sex. There are currently multiple departments within state government where the term has not been previously defined.
“It’s important for the law to be clear,” said bill sponsor State Rep. Gino Bulso, R-Brentwood. “We do unfortunately live in a day and time where terms that have always been understood in one way are now being used in ways that historically… have never been used. Having the definition of a term locked down in the code to give clarity to the judicial branch and the citizens is worth significant merit.”
According to the legislation, evidence of a person’s biological sex includes government-issued identification that accurately reflects a person’s sex listed on their original birth certificate. House Bill 239 was scheduled to be heard in the House Civil Justice Committee on March 1.
