The Texas House of Representatives has passed a bill that is likely to pave the way for the law to be implemented.

Seven other American states have initiated similar laws as part of a nationwide campaign from the Republican party.

They claim the law, which would apply to public school teams through high school, protects fair competition.

Ricardo Martinez, chief executive of the LGBTQ rights group Equality Texas, said the passage of the bill was a "hateful, targeted attack on transgender people".

Sports organisations across the world, including the International Olympic Committee (IOC), have grappled with the issue of rules for transgender athletes in recent years.

The IOC has consistently pushed back updates to its transgender guidelines, delaying them until after the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing because of "very conflicting opinions" on the framework.

The latest delay means it is to be published three years later than originally planned.

Current rules suggest that transgender women should be allowed to compete in women's sport if they reduce their testosterone levels below 10 nanomoles per litre for 12 continuous months, although International Federations are able to create their own rules.

Their testosterone level in serum must remain below 10 nmol/L throughout the period of desired eligibility to compete in the female category, which is based on immunoassay testing.