.Sep 17, 2024, 09:18 PM ETWASHINGTON-- Billie Jean Master will come to be the 1st individual girls's professional athlete to be awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania as well as Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey introduced Tuesday that their bipartisan legislation had actually passed your house of Agents as well as will be actually delivered to President Joe Biden for his signature.The bill to recognize King, the tennis Hallway of Famer and activist, had actually passed with one voice in the Senate.Sherrill, a Democrat, mentioned in a statement that King's "life-time of campaigning for and hard work changed the garden for girls as well as ladies on the courtroom, in the classroom, and also the work environment." The expense was launched in September 2023 on the 50th anniversary of King's victory over Bobby Riggs in the "Fight of the Sexes," still the most-watched ping pong suit of perpetuity. The award, rewarded through Our lawmakers for recognized accomplishments as well as contributions to society, has actually formerly been actually offered to professional athletes, including pitcher Jackie Robinson and also Roberto Clemente as well as golfers Jack Nicklaus, Byron Nelson as well as Arnold Palmer.King had presently been granted the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009. Fitzpatrick, a Republican, claims she possesses "faulty obstacles, led uncharted courses, and also motivated countless folks to stand up happily along with guts as well as view in the fight for what corrects.".