ARKANSAS, USA — Arkansas House Bill 1156, put forward by Rep. Mary Bentley (R) aims to restrict charter and public school bathrooms and other shared facilities by requiring a label of either "male" or "female".
The bill would also apply these restrictions to locker rooms and showers.
Rep. Bentley stated that she wanted to push the bill forward so that "every child would feel safe at school, even in the bathroom."
The bill defines sex as "the physical condition of being male or female based on genetics and physiology, as identified on an individual's original birth certificate."
HB 1156 is joined by other hot topic bills filed in the 2023 Legislative Session, including SB66, which would require adults to present a digital ID to view porn, and a bill filed by Sen. Linda Chesterfield (D-Little Rock) that would prohibit using panic as a legal defense in response to a victim's sexual orientation.
On Tuesday, Jan. 31, the bill will head to the House floor, where it will be seen by the House Education Committee
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