Under the bill, which Mace is hoping to attach to the new House rules package that will be voted on next year, the House sergeant-at-arms would be required to enforce the new rule. The legislation comes as the House is set to welcome its first transgender lawmaker on Jan. 3 with the swearing-in of Rep.-elect Sarah McBride (D-DE). 

“The sanctity of protecting women and standing up against the Left’s systematic erasure of biological women starts here in the nation’s Capitol,” Mace said in a statement to Fox News, which first reported on the legislation. 

McBride called Mace’s effort a distraction.

“This is a blatant attempt from far right-wing extremists to distract from the fact that they have no real solutions to what Americans are facing,” McBride told the Washington Examiner. “We should be focused on bringing down the cost of housing, health care, and child care, not manufacturing culture wars. Delawareans sent me here to make the American dream more affordable and accessible and that’s what I’m focused on.”

The change will be voted on when the House reconvenes in January for the 119th Congress to adopt a new rules package to dictate how the lower chamber operates. The rule would apply to bathrooms in the Capitol and House office buildings.

Mace crafted the legislation over concerns that “allowing biological males into single-sex facilities” such as bathrooms or changing rooms that are designated for females “jeopardizes the safety and dignity of Members, officers, and employees of the House who are female.”

It’s not clear how the measure will be enforced or what the punishments may be for those who are found in violation. 

Transgender issues became a flashpoint during the 2024 elections, with President-elect Donald Trump hitting Vice President Kamala Harris in ads leading up to the election while multiple GOP lawmakers attacked their Democratic counterparts for supporting transgender athletes to participate in women’s sports.