BILL NUMBER: AJR 27 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 8, 2012
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Bonilla
( Coauthors: Assembly Members
Ammiano, Hall, Ma, Monning,
Perea, and Williams )
( Coauthors: Senators
Alquist, Evans, Liu, and Runner
)
FEBRUARY 14, 2012
Relative to women in sports.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AJR 27, as amended, Bonilla. Women in sports.
This measure would commemorate the 40th anniversary of Title IX on
June 23, 2012, commend the movement toward increased equality and
fair treatment of female athletes, and praise the goal of greater
opportunities in sports for girls and young women in California.
Fiscal committee: no.
WHEREAS, When the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) was
formed in 1914, girls' physical education did not include
interscholastic sports teams; and
WHEREAS, In 1964, the CIF Federated Council adopted a set of
bylaws for girls' interscholastic sports that stated that schools and
school districts may organize girls' sports teams; and
WHEREAS, By the 1967-68 school year, almost half of California's
secondary schools conducted a CIF girls' interscholastic athletic
program of some degree; and
WHEREAS, In 1972, the United States Congress enacted Title IX of
the Education Amendments of 1972; and
WHEREAS, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (hereafter
Title IX) states, in part, as follows: "No person in the United
States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in,
be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under
any education program or activity receiving Federal financial
assistance . . . ."; and
WHEREAS, Prior to the enactment of Title IX, many schools refused
to admit girls and women to, or imposed strict limits on their
participation in, a wide range of sports; and
WHEREAS, Since the enactment of Title IX, the participation and
interest of girls and women in sports has soared. Only 300,000 girls
participated in California high school sports and fewer than
32,000 women participated in college sports prior to Title IX;
today the number is in excess of 2.37 nearly
three million; and
WHEREAS, Since the enactment of Title IX, participation of girls
and women in sports has increased by 904 percent in high schools and
456 percent in colleges; and
WHEREAS, Title IX governs the overall equity of opportunity in
athletics, including areas such as equipment and supplies, travel,
support services, and scholarships; and
WHEREAS, Scholarship opportunities are an important way that
educational institutions meet the needs and interests of student
athletes; and
WHEREAS, In 1995-96, across all National Collegiate Athletic
Association divisions, male athletes received 63 percent of the
scholarship funding and female athletes received 37 percent of
scholarship dollars, or $142,622,803 less than their male
counterparts; and
WHEREAS, Today, male athletes receive 55 percent of the
scholarship funding and female athletes receive 45 percent of
scholarship dollars; and
WHEREAS, The amount of recruitment dollars spent on women athletes
can be viewed as a measure of institutional commitment to women's
sports programs; and
WHEREAS, Women's In 1995-96, women's
teams received 26.6 percent of the total available funding while men'
s teams received 72.6 percent of that amount; and
WHEREAS, Women now constitute 37 percent of college athletes and
were 39 percent of the 1996 United States Olympic Team members; and
WHEREAS, Today, women's teams receive 38 percent of the total
available funding while men's teams receive 62 percent of that
amount; and
WHEREAS, Participation in girls' and women's sports has led to
tremendous learning opportunities in leadership skills and team
building; and
WHEREAS, Girls' and women's sports have contributed enormously to
developing self-confidence and self-esteem in women; and
WHEREAS, Girls and young women who are involved in sports have
been found to be less likely to smoke, use drugs, or have babies as
teenagers; and
WHEREAS, Girls' and women's sports and other fitness programs for
women have led millions of women into positive lifelong habits of
physical activity, improved fitness, and consequently greatly
improved health in our state; and
WHEREAS, Title IX has continued to increase opportunities for
girls and women in sports but has not achieved the goal of full
equality in participation in scholarships, equipment, and other
funding; and
WHEREAS, In addition to girls' and women's sports, numerous health
clubs, specialized programs in women's fitness, and outdoor
activities and programs that promote self-sufficiency and
self-confidence in women through outdoor adventures are dedicated to
promoting lifelong participation of women in sports and fitness; and
WHEREAS, These same organizations have sought to create a public
awareness that encourages greater female participation and greater
support of gender equality and empowerment through sports and outdoor
programs; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Assembly and the Senate of the State of
California, jointly, That high school and college coaches of women's
athletics are to be commended for progress in attaining the goals of
Title IX and fulfilling the hopes and dreams of girls and women in
sports; and be it further
Resolved, That the CIF and California high schools and colleges
are to be commended for the progress made already ,
and encouraged in further efforts by all to meet the
challenge of equality in sports and the greatest fulfillment of the
hopes and dreams of girls and women in our schools; and be it further
Resolved, That programs and projects that emphasize girls' and
women's confidence building through fitness and physical challenges
in sports and outdoor adventure, such as the Women's Sports
Foundation, be commended for their positive impact in carrying
forward the fitness message for girls and women; and be it further
Resolved, That parents, families, businesses, women athletes who
serve as positive role models, and all others who have contributed to
girls' and women's leadership and team player skills through sports
and fitness activities are to be commended; and be it further
Resolved, That the Legislature of the State of California, on June
23, 2012, commemorates the 40th anniversary of Title IX, commends
the movement toward increased equality and fair treatment of female
athletes, and praises the goals of greater opportunities in sports
for girls and young women in California; and be it further
Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of
this resolution to the President and Vice President of the United
States, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and each Senator
and Representative from California in the Congress of the United
States.