2026 Voter Guide: This article is part of Johnstown Republic’s guide to the Nov. 3 ballot.
Colorado voters will decide Proposition 134, a citizen-initiated measure that would require school-based athletic teams and sports to be designated as male, female or coeducational and generally require students to participate on sex-designated teams that correspond with their biological sex.
The measure would change state law and requires a simple majority to pass, according to the official 2026 Colorado Blue Book.
What would Proposition 134 do?
Proposition 134 would apply to school-sponsored athletics from elementary school through college, including interscholastic teams, intramural sports and school-sponsored after-school programs.
Every covered team or sport would have to be designated as:
- Male;
- Female; or
- Coeducational or mixed.
Students generally would be required to participate on a male- or female-designated team that corresponds with their biological sex, or on a coeducational team.
A female student could participate on a male-designated team if the school does not offer an equivalent female team for that sport. Coeducational teams would remain open to all participants.
The measure defines a male as a person whose biological reproductive system is organized around the production of sperm and a female as a person whose biological reproductive system is organized around the production of ova.
It does not establish a specific statewide procedure for determining or verifying biological sex. Schools and school districts would develop their own procedures, according to the state’s ballot analysis.
The measure would apply to public, charter, private and religious K-12 schools, as well as public and private colleges, universities and community colleges in Colorado. It would not apply to youth sports leagues that operate independently of schools.
Proposition 134 would also prohibit government agencies, licensing or accrediting organizations, and athletic associations from investigating or penalizing a school for maintaining a female-only team or sport.
How would it be enforced?
Each school’s governing body would have to adopt a policy implementing the measure.
For public K-12 school districts, the Colorado Commissioner of Education would be responsible for responding to intentional noncompliance. The commissioner would first notify the district and give it a reasonable opportunity to comply.
If the district does not make a good-faith effort to comply, the commissioner would be required to take appropriate corrective action within the commissioner’s authority.
The measure does not establish a specific enforcement process for private K-12 schools, colleges, universities or athletic associations that fail to comply.
If approved, Proposition 134 would take effect Jan. 1, 2027.
What does a YES vote mean?
A YES vote would require school-based athletic teams and sports to be classified as male, female or coeducational and would generally require participation on sex-designated teams to correspond with a participant’s biological sex.
Schools and school districts would also have to adopt policies implementing those requirements.
What does a NO vote mean?
A NO vote would leave current law and athletic eligibility policies in place.
Schools, school districts and athletic associations could continue setting eligibility rules consistent with existing state and federal law.
How does this relate to current law?
Colorado anti-discrimination law currently protects students based on sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression.
The Blue Book notes that public K-12 schools, colleges and universities may not exclude students from extracurricular activities that align with their gender identity, even when that identity differs from their biological sex.
It is unclear how Proposition 134 would interact with those existing protections if approved.
Federal Title IX also prohibits sex discrimination in federally funded education programs. Courts and presidential administrations have differed over how Title IX applies to gender identity and school sports.
Current athletic rules also vary. The Colorado High School Activities Association has policies addressing participation by transgender students, while NCAA rules currently limit participation in women’s collegiate sports to athletes assigned female at birth.
Proposition 134 would establish a statewide statutory standard covering a broader range of school-sponsored sports, including intramural programs.
What would it cost?
The Legislative Council Staff fiscal analysis estimates no specific increase in state revenue or appropriated state spending in fiscal years 2026-27 or 2027-28.
The Colorado Department of Education could face additional workload and legal costs if the Commissioner of Education must address intentional noncompliance by a school district. Those costs cannot be determined in advance.
State colleges and universities could also incur costs to update athletic policies, with those expenses expected to be covered by institutional revenue such as tuition, fees or athletic-department funds.
Schools, school districts and charter schools may face additional workload and some costs to update and implement their athletic policies, although Legislative Council Staff expects those costs to be minimal.
Arguments for and against
Supporters argue that Proposition 134 would create a consistent statewide standard intended to preserve competitive opportunities for female athletes. They contend that physical differences between males and females can affect athletic performance and injury risk and that female-designated teams should be reserved for biological females.
Opponents argue that the measure could exclude transgender students from teams that correspond with their gender identity and that it provides no uniform method for determining biological sex. They contend that schools could adopt inconsistent verification procedures and that some students could face intrusive testing or increased scrutiny.
Opponents also argue that school sports provide social and developmental benefits and that restricting participation could isolate some students.
Those arguments are summarized from the official Colorado Blue Book.
What does this mean for Johnstown?
Proposition 134 would apply to school-sponsored athletics in the Johnstown area, including programs offered by public, charter and private schools.
School districts serving Johnstown, including Weld RE-5J, would have to adopt policies consistent with the measure if it passes.
The measure would apply to both competitive school teams and intramural athletic programs, but not to independent youth sports leagues that are not operated by schools.
Official information
The complete ballot analysis, fiscal-impact statement and full text of Proposition 134 are available through the Colorado General Assembly’s official Proposition 134 page.