Congress writes membership rules for private women's organization
H.R. 9701 — Daughters of the American Revolution Membership Integrity Act. · Filed by Ben Cline (R-VA) · 43 cosponsors · Introduced Jul 15, 2026 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill amends the federal charter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) to codify membership eligibility as limited to women, defined in statutory language as adult human females with a specific biological reproductive system. The bill inserts a new section into the DAR's federal charter establishing this requirement in law rather than leaving it to the organization's internal bylaws alone.
Why we flagged it
The bill's operative mechanism is to insert a statutory definition of membership eligibility into a private organization's federal charter. It is not a deregulation, subsidy, or broad policy change—it is a narrow amendment to one organization's governing statute, written in highly specific biological language.
What the text implies
- Federal statute now controls membership criteria for a private organization, setting a precedent for Congress to legislate internal membership rules of chartered entities.
- The statutory definition of 'female' using reproductive-system language may create litigation risk if applied to individuals with intersex conditions, congenital anomalies, or medical histories not captured by the definition.
The full analysis lists 4 implications of this text.
Who it affects
The bill restricts access to a private membership organization by federal statute, which is unusual and raises questions about government involvement in membership criteria. However, the DAR itself has historically maintained women-only membership, so the bill codifies existing practice rather than imposing a new restriction.