(Texas Scorecard) – New legislation has been filed that would protect women and young girls from men masquerading as women in private spaces.
State Sen. Mayes Middleton (R-Galveston) filed Senate Bill 240, which would require political subdivisions or state agencies—including public universities and any department, commission, board, office, council, authority, or other agency in the executive, legislative, or judicial branch of the state government—to mandate that each private space located in their facilities be designated for and used by only a single biological sex.
SB 240 does not prohibit a political subdivision or state agency from adopting policies to accommodate people protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act, young children who need assistance, or elderly people requiring aid.
Places can establish single-occupancy spaces or family restrooms or redesignate private spaces designated for one sex to be exclusively used by the opposite sex.
A person of one sex may enter a private space designated for the opposite sex for a custodial purpose, maintenance or inspection, rendering medical or emergency services, or accompanying a person in need of assistance. A child under 10 years old may also enter a private space opposite of their sex while accompanying a person caring for the child.
If a political subdivision or state agency violates the law, it will be held liable for a civil penalty of $5,000 for the first offense and a $25,000 fine for subsequent offenses. Each day of a continuing violation constitutes a separate offense.
The agency or subdivision is in violation only if the citizen who files a complaint provides a written notice that describes the violation and the agency does not fix the offense before the end of the third business day after receiving the notice.
Middleton stated that he filed the bill so women and children would not be forcibly exposed to men.
“Women and children should not be forcibly exposed to men in private spaces, period. I just filed the Texas Women’s Privacy Act, SB 240,” Middleton wrote on X. “Safety for women and children is common sense, and certainly should not be sacrificed for the left’s radical gender ideology.”
The 89th Legislative Session is set to begin on Tuesday, January 14, 2025.