Senate Education Committee advances bill requiring use of birth-assigned restrooms in public schools

The Senate Education Committee advanced Senate File 62 on Jan. 24, approving an amended version that would require public school districts to designate multiple-occupancy restrooms and changing rooms by a student’s sex as recorded at birth and to provide a "reasonable accommodation," such as a single-occupancy restroom, for students who do not use those facilities. The committee voted to send the bill to the Senate floor, 4-1.

Supporters, led by the bill sponsor Senator Larson, told the committee the measure responds to requests from at least one local superintendent who sought statewide direction rather than a district-by-district approach. Senator Larson said the measure creates a new statute and defines multiple-occupancy restrooms and changing rooms, and directs school boards to adopt policies implementing the requirements. Larson said the bill would require districts “to use restrooms that align with their *** at birth” and provide “reasonable accommodations.”

The committee amended the bill during the hearing. Members removed language that would have stripped a district’s accreditation for noncompliance and adjusted several operational provisions, including allowing adults who are not employed by the school district to accompany coaches in certain circumstances and adding an explicit exception for adults rendering assistance to students because of age or disability. After those amendments, the committee approved the bill on a voice/roll call vote 4-1; Senators Brennan, Olson, Scott and Chairwoman Schueller voted yes, and Senator Rothfuss voted no.

Why it matters: supporters described the bill as a way to give school administrators legal clarity and to create uniform expectations across districts; opponents and several education groups said the proposal would create new liabilities, risk costly litigation and could harm transgender students’ safety and mental health if enacted without…