Voters in Washington will decide on two ballot initiatives that address school sports eligibility requirements based on biological sex and certain parental rights in public schools on Nov. 3, 2026.
Sports eligibility initiative
The first initiative that voters in Washington will decide on, known as IL26-638, is also the first statewide measure related to biological sex requirements for eligibility in school sports to qualify for the ballot in American history.
The initiative would prohibit biologically male students from participating in sports designated for female students, and would require verification of their biological sex by a health care provider based on "reproductive anatomy, genetic makeup, or normal endogenously produced testosterone levels."
Parental rights initiative
The second initiative that Washington voters will weigh in on, known as IL26-001, would reenact an indirect initiated state statute that the legislature previously approved in 2024, and then partially repealed and amended in May 2025. That law provided parents with a right to review educational materials, receive certain notifications, and opt out of sexual health education. The legislative changes removed, from the statute, the rights of parents to receive prior notification when medical services are offered to their child, except in cases of emergency medical treatment, when medical services of medications are given that could result in a financial impact on the parent or guardian, or when the school has arranged for medical treatment resulting in follow-up care after school hours.
Background for the initiatives
Both initiatives are Initiatives to the Legislature, a type of indirect initiated state statute where, if enough valid signatures are gathered, the state legislature can choose to: 1) adopt the initiative as written; 2) reject or not act on the initiative, thereby placing it on the ballot for voter approval; or 3) approve an alternative to the proposed initiative, in which case both the original proposal and the legislative alternative are placed on the ballot.
Since the Washington State Legislature did not act on either initiative before the 2026 legislative session adjourned on March 12, 2026, both initiatives are set to be placed on the General Election ballot on Nov. 3, 2026.
Both initiatives are supported by Let's Go Washington, a political action committee (PAC) founded by Brian Heywood, a hedge fund executive and Republican donor.
On Jan. 2, 2026, the PAC submitted signatures for both initiatives for review, and they were subsequently approved by the Washington Secretary of State.
In 2024, Let's Go Washington gathered and submitted signatures for six measures — covering topics ranging from prohibiting the state from implementing an income tax to removing restrictions on when a police officer can engage in a vehicular pursuit — with three being approved by the state legislature and three being rejected by voters.
Other measures on the ballot in 2026 related to sports eligibility requirements based on sex
In addition to IL26-638, campaigns in four other states — Colorado, Maine, Nebraska, and Nevada — are in the process of qualifying initiatives for the 2026 ballot that would require participation in sports to be based on sex, unless a team is co-ed.
Additional reading: