Washington DC - President Joe Biden proposed a new plan on Thursday that would prohibit schools and colleges across the US from enacting blanket bans against transgender athletes.

Per the Associated Press, the proposal, if passed, would serve as a provision to Title IX - the landmark legislation passed in 1972 that ensures "all students have equal opportunity to enjoy the benefits of team sports participation."

The provision does allow the creation of exceptions for "important educational objectives," including competition fairness.

Biden's proposal would also bar schools that receive federal funding from implementing "one-size-fits-all" bans on trans athletes.

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Though the proposal will block such complete bans on transgender athletes, it would allow for bans to be implemented on an individual-case basis.

While elementary students will generally be free to participate in the sports teams aligned with their gender identity, more competitive sports at the college and high school levels will have to take into consideration factors such as the sport, level of competition, and age of the student.

Biden's plan comes as a number of states under Republican leadership have aggressively passed legislation to ban trans athletes from participating entirely, which he has openly opposed.

To date, 16 states have active bans in effect, mostly in high school sports. At least three states have bans that have been placed on hold by courts, and one state will see a ban take effect in July.

In order to pass, Biden's proposal will have to go through a rigorous process to get approved, and it's already being met with criticisms on both sides of the aisle.

Though the move would fight against any all-out bans on transgender athletes, many LGBTQ+ advocates have taken issue with the exceptions allowed by the new proposal.