.Sep 17, 2024, 09:18 PM ETWASHINGTON-- Billie Jean Master will certainly come to be the initial private girls's professional athlete to be rewarded the Legislative Gold Medal.Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and also Mikie Sherrill of New Jacket revealed Tuesday that their bipartisan regulations had actually passed our home of Agents and would be actually sent to Head of state Joe Biden for his signature.The bill to honor Master, the tennis Hall of Famer and also lobbyist, had actually passed unanimously in the Senate.Sherrill, a Democrat, pointed out in a declaration that Master's "life time of proposal and also hard work changed the yard for girls and gals on the court, in the classroom, and also the office." The costs was presented in September 2023 on the 50th anniversary of Master's victory over Bobby Riggs in the "Fight of the Sexual activities," still the most-watched tennis match of perpetuity. The award, granted by Our lawmakers for distinguished accomplishments as well as contributions to culture, has earlier been actually provided to professional athletes, featuring baseball players Jackie Robinson and Roberto Clemente as well as golf enthusiasts Port Nicklaus, Byron Nelson and Arnold Palmer.King had currently been actually rewarded the Governmental Medal of Independence in 2009. Fitzpatrick, a Republican politician, mentions she possesses "broken barriers, led unexplored paths, as well as motivated plenty of folks to stand up happily along with tenacity and also view in the fight for what is right.".