.Sep 17, 2024, 09:18 PM ETWASHINGTON-- Billie Jean King will come to be the very first specific ladies's professional athlete to become awarded the Legislative Gold Medal.Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania as well as Mikie Sherrill of New Shirt declared Tuesday that their bipartisan regulations had passed your home of Reps and would certainly be actually sent to President Joe Biden for his signature.The costs to honor Master, the tennis Hallway of Famer and lobbyist, had actually passed unanimously in the Senate.Sherrill, a Democrat, pointed out in a claim that Master's "life time of advocacy and effort altered the yard for females and ladies on the courtroom, in the class, as well as the workplace." The bill was actually launched in September 2023 on the 50th wedding anniversary of Master's triumph over Bobby Riggs in the "Battle of the Sexual activities," still the most-watched tennis match of all time. The award, granted through Our lawmakers for notable success and also additions to community, has formerly been actually provided professional athletes, featuring baseball players Jackie Robinson and Roberto Clemente and also golf enthusiasts Jack Nicklaus, Byron Nelson and also Arnold Palmer.King had actually already been actually granted the Presidential Award of Freedom in 2009. Fitzpatrick, a Republican politician, states she has "broken barricades, led undiscovered courses, as well as inspired plenty of people to stand proudly along with guts and also strong belief in the defend what is right.".