The Senate Committee on State Affairs on Friday heard hours of public testimony on Senate Bill 8, the Texas Women’s Privacy Act, with dozens of speakers urging both rejection and enactment of the bill.

Supporters said the measure clarifies who may use women’s restrooms, locker rooms, shelters and some institutional settings. Opponents, including transgender Texans and civil‑rights groups, said the bill would encourage harassment, risk the safety of transgender and cisgender people, and expose public institutions to lawsuits.

The bill’s author was identified during the hearing as Senator John Middleton (author), and the committee chair, Senator Hughes, opened the public comment period. After testimony, the committee voted to report SB 8 favorably to the full Senate.

Why it matters: Proponents say the bill protects privacy in settings where people are vulnerable; opponents say the measure would produce real harms—criminal and civil—and undermine public‑safety and civil‑rights protections already used by institutions.

Most of the hearing consisted of public testimony. Opponents included many transgender speakers and civil‑liberties organizations. Ash Hall, who said they represent the ACLU of Texas, testified, “This bill would violate the Prison Rape Elimination Act,” and warned the bill “encourages gender policing” by prompting people to judge who looks “feminine or masculine enough.” Emma Gogol, testifying against the bill, called it “a bounty bill” and said it would “prevent survivors of violence from being able to seek help.”

Supporters included Mary Elizabeth Castle, who identified herself as director of government relations for Texas Values. Castle told the committee the measure “is about clearly protecting women” in private spaces, naming locker rooms, showers, prisons and domestic‑violence shelters as covered locations.

Speakers on both sides cited examples and experiences. Several opponents recounted assaults and harassment they said would be worsened by the bill or by the climate it would create; Matilda Miller, who described herself as transgender, cited national statistics about sexual assault rates for incarcerated transgender people and said passage would increase risk for transfeminine people placed in men’s facilities. Supporters described incidents they say show local districts and public buildings need clearer rules.

Several witnesses argued the bill would influence employers, schools and businesses. Jonathan Ivester, who said he is retired from a high‑tech company, told senators that discriminatory laws make it harder to recruit employees to Texas. Opponents likewise warned of business losses and tourism impacts.

On federal and administrative law, some witnesses referenced the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) and Title IX guidance; witnesses who raised PREA said facility‑level discretion for correctional officials is important for safety decisions in jails and prisons.

Action taken: After public testimony, Senator Bettencourt moved to report SB 8 favorably to the full Senate. The clerk recorded the roll and the committee reported the bill favorably (recorded as 9 ayes, 0 nays in committee minutes). The committee left the bill pending for the full Senate to consider.

What remains uncertain: The committee heard repeated concerns that civil‑litigation provisions in the bill could produce suits against schools, libraries, shelters and other public institutions; witnesses asked whether local discretion and federal standards such as PREA would be preserved. The broader legal fate of the bill will depend on floor action and likely later court challenges.

Speakers quoted in this story spoke during the SB 8 hearing; all quoted remarks are attributed to the speakers who made them in Committee testimony.