[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 95 (Thursday, June 21, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1103]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   INTRODUCING LEGISLATION CELEBRATING 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF TITLE IX 
                              LEGISLATION

                                 ______
                                 

                     HON. LOUISE McINTOSH SLAUGHTER

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 21, 2012

  Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce a resolution 
recognizing the 40th anniversary of the momentous Title IX legislation. 
Forty years ago, on June 23, 1972, it was established that educational 
institutions receiving federal funding were barred from discriminating 
against anyone on the basis of sex. That decision applied to student 
admissions, recruitment, scholarship awards and tuition assistance, 
housing, access to courses and other academic offerings, counseling, 
financial assistance, employment assistance to students, health and 
insurance benefits and services, athletics, and all aspects of 
education-related employment.
  This landmark legislation led to gains for women in all fields, from 
academics to business to science and technology. The law is probably 
most well known for its impact on women in athletics. Since Title IX 
was enacted, the number of women competing in college sports has soared 
by more than 600 percent, and the number of high school girls competing 
in sports has increased by over 1,000 percent.
  This is important because we know from scientific research that 
student athletes graduate at higher rates, perform better in school and 
are less likely to use drugs and alcohol, smoke, or develop mental 
illness or obesity later in life. Furthermore, I have heard from 
countless female athletes, like Olympic gymnast Dominique Dawes, that 
without athletic scholarships made possible by Title IX, they simply 
would not have been able to attend college. Imagine the vast 
intellectual, cultural and athletic opportunities that would have been 
lost to these young women had they not been able to pursue their goals 
of furthering their education.
  In the years since the law was passed, we have had to fight for 
improvements to the legislation and fight against other attempts to 
weaken it. In 2003, I led a hearing in the basement of this very 
Capitol building when Title IX was being threatened by Commission for 
Opportunity in Athletic recommendations that ignored the continuing 
lack of participation opportunities and funding that women's and girls' 
athletics were facing. I clearly recall watching a line of little girls 
in their soccer uniforms enter the room accompanied by their fathers. 
These dads spoke eloquently about the importance of coaching their 
daughters in sports, and how it meant just as much to them as coaching 
their sons. Although bad policy was enacted that limited the 
effectiveness of Title IX, I am proud to say we were able to reverse 
significant parts of that in 2010.
  The fight for fairness continues. Today we still face disparities in 
opportunities for girls in sports, particularly at the high school 
level. Girls make up half of the high school population, yet receive 
only 41 percent of all athletic participation opportunities. This 
translates to 1.3 million fewer opportunities for young women to play 
high school sports than young men. Worse yet, this gap is actually 
increasing.
  How is it that one law can have such a dramatic impact at one age 
level and yet be less successful for our young women who are just four 
years younger? The answer can be found in public transparency and 
accountability. As is true elsewhere in life, sunshine can be the best 
of disinfectants.
  At the collegiate level, colleges and universities are required to 
publicly account for how their athletic opportunities, resources, and 
dollars are allocated among male and female athletes. No such 
transparency requirements are found at the high school level. Not 
surprisingly, where there is no public accountability, there is a 
growing gap in athletic opportunities for young student-athletes.
  Currently, high schools are required to submit annual reports of 
their athletic participation numbers by sport and gender to their state 
high school athletic associations. Additionally, school bookkeepers 
already keep records of all school expenditures--including those made 
within the athletic department. Despite doing all the work of 
collecting this data, none of it is required to be made public.
  To make a simple, but profound, change to high school reporting 
requirements, I have authored H.R. 458, the High School Athletics and 
Accountability Act. This bill would require high schools to make public 
vital data on the participation of girls in high school sports. Schools 
already collect this data. Making the information public would be a 
small change for school administrators--estimates are that it would 
take just three to six hours of time once a year to produce a report--
and would have a huge impact on the opportunities available to our 
young girls.
  As we celebrate the anniversary of the passage of this landmark 
legislation, we must recommit ourselves to continuing the fight for 
equity for women and girls. I ask my colleagues to commemorate the 40th 
anniversary of Title IX with me, and pledge to keep pressing forward 
until opportunities are equal for all.

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