Senate committee restores original language on restroom use, adds disability exemption and grandfather clause to bill 1144

A state Senate committee on [date not specified] amended House Bill 1144 to return the measure “back to its original form,” add an explicit exemption for students covered by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act or the Americans with Disabilities Act, and include a grandfather clause for facilities that existed before July 1, 2025.

The committee also decided to take the bill to a conference committee and planned to reconvene with Legislative Counsel and school representatives to resolve remaining language questions, including whether to remove the word “shower” from an early draft and whether the term “individual” or “student” should be used in specific lines.

Representative Freilich, who presented the amendment from Legislative Counsel, said the change restored language the Senate had removed and added a protocol clarifying that a parent should first submit a complaint to a school district under a new subsection before appealing to the…