Congress has moved forward with a sweeping defense policy bill that includes a new federal ban on transgender women participating in women’s sports at United States military service academies. The provision is folded into the National Defense Authorization Act, a 3,086 page package that authorizes about $900 billion in military and national security spending for 2026. The House approved the bill in a 312 to 112 vote, sending it to the Senate for final approval and signaling that the measure has broad momentum.
The legislation directs the secretary of defense to ensure that military academies do not permit anyone “whose sex is male” to take part in athletic programs or activities designated for women or girls. It defines sex as “reproductive biology and genetics at birth.” This requirement appears alongside language aligned with several of President Trump’s executive orders, including new limits on diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts within the Department of Defense and other policy changes that reshape internal practices.
The addition arrives in a bill that had already been negotiated across party lines, which means there was little room to change or remove provisions once the compromise text was released. Earlier drafts included a ban on Defense Department funding for gender affirming surgeries, although that language was removed from the final version. Even without it, the NDAA continues a pattern in which restrictions on transgender people are layered into military policy. A previous House version also attempted to bar “gender transition procedures” for minor dependents under the Exceptional Family Member Program, echoing restrictions written into last year’s NDAA on certain TRICARE coverage for transgender youth.
Because the NDAA must pass each year, it has become a reliable venue for policy fights that reach beyond core defense matters. Lawmakers often attach provisions that would face strong resistance in stand-alone votes. This year, the sports ban is one of the most prominent examples, reflecting how major federal legislation is being used to advance broader anti trans policies.
The inclusion of the sports restriction underscores how far this campaign has extended. Transgender participation in athletics has become a central target in school districts, state legislatures, and collegiate programs. With this NDAA, military academies have now been added to that national landscape of restrictions.
As the Senate prepares to vote, the bill remains on track to become law. For transgender students who hope to pursue military careers, the new restriction is another reminder that federal policy continues to narrow the boundaries of who is permitted to participate fully in public institutions and who is pushed out through statute.