Iowa State Senate Passes Bill to Prohibit Men from Using Women’s Restrooms

The Iowa State Legislature is considering a bill that would prohibit students from using bathrooms and changing areas that do not correspond to their biological sex.

Iowa’s State Senate passed legislation that would bar students from using bathrooms that don’t correspond with their biological sex. More specifically, Senate Bill 482 “prohibits persons from entering single and multiple occupancy restrooms or changing areas and other facilities in elementary and secondary schools that do not correspond with the person’s biological sex.”

The State House has advanced a similar, though not entirely identical bill. Notably, a similar bill considered by the Iowa State Senate two years ago died before even reaching committee.

Should it become law, the bill would amend the Iowa Civil Rights Act, stating “It shall not be an unfair or discriminatory practice for a school to require a single or multiple occupancy restroom or changing area to be designated only for and used by persons of the same biological sex.”

Meanwhile, Sen. Chris Cournoyer, R-LeClaire, explained that she’d spoken with parents who were concerned that men who identify as women could be using the same facilities as their daughters.

Cournoyer stated that “[w]e need to ensure that all students feel safe at our schools so they can focus on learning,” before also going on to add, “We cannot sacrifice the rights and privacy of some students to accommodate the rights and privacy of others.”

Under the bill, schools would be allowed to provide students who identify as transgender with special accommodations that allow them to use single occupancy restrooms or faculty restrooms. Such accommodations would require consent from a parent or guardian, however.

In addition, the bill would also allow Iowa citizens to file complaints to the attorney general in the event that a school violates the law. The attorney general would then be able to take legal action against the school.

Spencer Lindquist is a reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerLndqst and reach out at slindquist@breitbart.com.