Congress codifies sex definition in private women's organization charter

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 the statute as adult human females with a specific biological reproductive system. The bill inserts a new section into the DAR's federal charter that makes this eligibility requirement explicit and legally binding at the federal level, overriding any other provision in the organization's charter.

Why we flagged it

The bill's sole operative function is to amend the federal charter of a private membership organization to codify and narrow membership eligibility based on a statutory definition of biological sex. It is not a broad policy measure but a targeted charter amendment.

What the text implies

• Federal law now defines 'woman' and 'female' by reproductive biology for purposes of DAR membership, creating a statutory precedent that may be cited in other federal contexts (healthcare, benefits, civil rights).
• The bill overrides the DAR's own governance authority ('notwithstanding any other provision') — the organization loses discretion to set its own membership rules, even if it wished to do so.
• The definition includes a clause about 'congenital anomaly or intentional or unintentional disruption' — language that may be read to exclude intersex individuals and those with reproductive system variations.
• No grandfather clause or transition provision is stated; the bill does not address the status of existing members who may not meet the new statutory definition.

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

Who it affects

The bill does not directly regulate ordinary citizens' rights or protections; it governs membership in a private membership organization with a federal charter. However, it uses federal law to impose a biological sex-based definition of 'woman' that may exclude transgender women and others, raising questions about equal treatment and the appropriate scope of federal involvement in a private organization's membership rules. The civic cost is the federal codification of a contested definition; the

Named in the bill

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

Where it stands

5 cosponsors: 5 Republicans.

• Jul 28, 2026 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in Senate”
• Jul 28, 2026 — Referred to Senate Committee on the Judiciary · Congress.gov: “Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary”

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