Senator Middleton presented a committee substitute for Senate Bill 7, saying the measure would require political subdivisions and state agencies to designate certain private spaces according to biological sex and provide enforcement for those rules.

“Women and children deserve safety, dignity, and privacy in spaces that are meant for them,” Senator Middleton said in her opening remarks on the floor. She described the bill as applying to political subdivisions of the state and state agencies and said it does not create new criminal penalties but provides enforcement mechanisms and civil penalties administered by the attorney general and through a private cause of action.

Senator Hinojosa asked whether the bill covers private entities; Middleton replied it applies only to political subdivisions and state agencies. Senators questioned enforcement details: the bill includes specified cure periods, with an initial three‑day cure window and an additional 15 days after attorney general notice before penalties are sought, the author said. The bill directs three‑day and 15‑day cure opportunities before fines can be levied.

Numerous senators debated the bill’s exceptions and potential federal conflicts. Senator Zafarini cited committee testimony numbers and questioned whether the bill’s strict binary definitions could expose agencies to federal litigation; Middleton referenced prior state actions and court decisions and said the bill preserves certain exceptions for custodial, inspection, medical and emergency assistance and for a child nine years old or younger accompanied by a caregiver.

The Senate adopted an amendment clarifying venue and procedural language, then passed the committee substitute on second reading and again on final passage. The floor record shows the vote on the rule and subsequent recorded votes: the bill advanced and final passage was recorded on the floor.