Restroom facilities; use of facilities in public buildings or schools, definition of biological sex. (HB781)

Introduced By

Del. Mark Cole (R-Fredericksburg) with support from co-patron Del. Nick Freitas (R-Culpeper)

Progress

Introduced
Passed Committee
Passed House
Passed Senate
Signed by Governor
Became Law

Description

Use of restroom facilities; penalty. Requires the Director of the Department of General Services and local school board to develop and implement policies that require, respectively, that every restroom designated for public use in any public building on property that is owned, leased, or controlled by the Commonwealth and every public school restroom, locker room, and shower room designated for student use and accessible by multiple students at the same time be designated for and only used by males or designated for and only used by females on the basis of their biological sex. The bill defines "biological sex" and provides a civil penalty for a willful and knowing violation. Read the Bill »

Outcome

Bill Has Failed

History

DateAction
01/12/2016Committee
01/12/2016Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/13/16 16100575D
01/12/2016Referred to Committee on General Laws
01/29/2016Impact statement from DPB (HB781)
02/03/2016Assigned to sub: Subcommittee #4
02/03/2016Assigned GL sub: Subcommittee #4
02/04/2016Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) (5-Y 2-N)
02/09/2016Reported from General Laws with substitute (8-Y 14-N) (see vote tally)
02/09/2016Failed to report (defeated) in General Laws (8-Y 14-N) (see vote tally)

Comments

Equality Virginia, tracking this bill in Photosynthesis, notes:

Equality Virginia opposes this bill.

Heather Mc writes:

This is a complete disgrace! These are children ... CHILDREN! Who do you propose do the investigating into the genitalia of these children? This sounds like some sick pedophiles dream job to fiddle around with children to make sure which gender they are. Absolutely disgusting to put children through all of this. They are CHILDREN .. not adults, but kids. Disturbing to say the very least.

AF writes:

Totally sick, disgusting & disturbing!!! I agree with Heather Mc - these are CHILDREN!!! What kind of sick & mentally deranged mind thinks of something like this!!! I would launch an investigation into this person because a suggestion like this has all the big red warning signs that he could possibly be a child predator & into child pornography!!! I hope that this so-called bill will be discarded quickly for the sake of ALL children, transgender or not!!!

Arvella Oliver writes:

So now we know why you're so obsessed with sex! You're a paedophile who's discovered a way to legalize your sickness! Do you have children of your own? Who gets to molest them when they need to'go potty'? Do you do it yourself, or let your sick friends do it?

DY writes:

You are a disgusting, perverted person. This is just another attempt to push your hatred and pedophilia, steal people's money, and interfere where the government has absolutely no business. take your Sharia Law and begone.

ACLU-VA LGBT Rights, tracking this bill in Photosynthesis, notes:

The ACLU of Virginia strongly opposes this bill. This is one of two bills introduced by Delegate Mark Cole that would impose civil penalties on adults and children who use a bathroom designated for a particular gender where either their "anatomical sex" or their "biological sex" doesn't match the gender designation. The bill denies transgender people the right to use the bathroom that conforms to their gender identity. It is sad to see the number of bills introduced this session targeted at ensuring that schools and other governmental agencies can purposely discriminate against transgender adults and children in Virginia. At a time when we should be working to end discrimination against all LGBT Virginians, and in a state where the overwhelming majority of Virginians agree that such discrimination should end, these bills are nothing more than ineffective, mean-spirited efforts to deny LGBT people in Virginia their constitutional and human rights.

DLB writes:

Disgusting! Think what trauma it would be for children to have their privates checked every time they use the bathroom or showers. They will be scarred for life! This violates their civil liberties as well! You have to have a creepy, perverted mind to subject any child to this! What is happening to our country?

Cheryl writes:

This is a disgusting, disturbing, horribly overreaching invasion and violation of personal and civil rights. It's none of their damn business what is (not) in someone's pants! There have been ZERO incidents of transexual individuals harassing cissexual individuals in restrooms, so there's no need for conservatives to clutch their pearls about sweet, innocent girls being harassed and abused by Big!Bad!Transsexuals. [/sarcasm] The only type of bathroom harassment to be concerned about is cissexuals harassing transsexuals, something which happens far too frequently (but I highly doubt that's a concern to conservatives).

As others have pointed up, the only way to effectively enforce this would be for someone to do a 'genital check' at the bathroom door, a position that might as well have "PEDOPHILES APPLY NOW" in the heading of the job ad because the position will be a magnet for child predators. Can school districts, and the State of Virginia, afford the lawsuits that will come when parents begin suing because their children were abused/assaulted/raped? How many in the House and Senate are prepared to pass a bill that, should it become law, would leave millions of children at risk for predation.

What is the purpose of this bill, anyway? Why must schools have a program in place to ensure only those with the 'correct' anatomy are using the 'correct' restroom? What on earth is that supposed to accomplish? How will it improve schools in Virginia? I fail to think of a single way education in Virginia is improved or benefits in any way from the micromanagement of who uses what bathroom.

ACLU-VA Legislative Agenda, tracking this bill in Photosynthesis, notes:

The ACLU of Virginia strongly opposes this bill. This is one of two bills introduced by Delegate Mark Cole that would impose civil penalties on adults and children who use a bathroom designated for a particular gender where either their "anatomical sex" or their "biological sex" doesn't match the gender designation. The bill denies transgender people the right to use the bathroom that conforms to their gender identity. It is sad to see the number of bills introduced this session targeted at ensuring that schools and other governmental agencies can purposely discriminate against transgender adults and children in Virginia. At a time when we should be working to end discrimination against all LGBT Virginians, and in a state where the overwhelming majority of Virginians agree that such discrimination should end, these bills are nothing more than ineffective, mean-spirited efforts to deny LGBT people in Virginia their constitutional and human rights.

Jarica Davis writes:

http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/an-open-letter-to-educato_b_9153648.html