Congress writes membership rules for private women's organization

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.
• Codifying membership criteria in federal law makes future changes to DAR membership policy require congressional action rather than organizational governance, reducing the organization's autonomy.
• The bill does not address how the DAR will verify compliance with the statutory definition, potentially creating administrative burden and privacy concerns for applicants.

Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.

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. The statutory definition of 'female' is contentious and may exclude some individuals who identify as women, creating a potential civil-rights friction point, but the bill d

Named in the bill

Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), 36 U.S.C. Chapter 1531, House Committee on the Judiciary

Where it stands

48 cosponsors: 48 Republicans.

• Jul 15, 2026 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
• Jul 15, 2026 — Referred to House Committee on the Judiciary · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.