TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Conservative legislators in Kansas expected Friday to pass a proposed ban on transgender girls and women competing in female school sports, though LGBTQ-rights activists believed the margins wouldn't be large enough to overcome an almost certain veto.

Republicans nationwide have pushed the issue, framing it as a matter of fairness in competition and access to scholarships, to appeal to a broad swath of voters. At least 12 other states have enacted such laws, including Arizona and Oklahoma this week.

In Kansas, the proposal was part of a larger agenda for conservatives who l...