Committee adopts biological definition amendment to HF 435; bill to restrict Shakopee prison to ‘biological females’ laid over

During a hearing of the Public Safety and Finance Commission, members adopted an author27s amendment that defines “female” by biological characteristics and then heard testimony on House File 435, a bill that would require the commissioner of corrections to house only biological females at the Minnesota Correctional Facility in Shakopee.

The committee adopted the A2 amendment by voice vote; members then received testimony on the bill but did not take a final vote. Committee staff said a fiscal note had not been received and the bill was being laid over pending that analysis.

The amendment introduced statutory language intended to clarify “what a woman is.” As read into the record by the bill27s author, Representative Fransen, the amendment says in part that “female means a female is biologically determined by genetics and defined with respect to an individual27s reproductive system,” and that “a woman is an adult human female; a girl is a minor human female.” Representative Fransen described HF 435 as “a women27s rights bill” and said the measure is “about protecting women.”

Testimony at the hearing was sharply divided.…