BOISE, Idaho — Idaho lawmakers have advanced a bill restricting restroom and changing room use based on biological sex, sending the measure to the full Senate with a recommendation that it pass.
Lawmakers on the Senate Judiciary and Rules Committee voted Monday to move House Bill 752 forward after hearing emotional testimony from supporters and opponents.
WATCH: Idahoans weigh in on controversial bathroom bill
The bill would make it a misdemeanor for someone to knowingly enter a restroom, locker room, or changing facility designated for the opposite biological sex in government buildings or places of public accommodation. A second conviction within five years could be charged as a felony punishable by up to five years in prison.
Bill sponsor Sen. Ben Toews told lawmakers the measure fills a gap in current law. “There’s no law currently that prohibits a biological man from entering a shower room with undressed women and children present,” he said. “This bill addresses that situation.”
Several committee members who supported the bill said it establishes clear boundaries for private spaces such as locker rooms and restrooms.
READ MORE | Bill restricting bathroom use to biological sex passes the Idaho House of Representatives
Opponents on the panel questioned whether new criminal penalties are necessary, noting that crimes like indecent exposure, assault, and voyeurism are already illegal under Idaho law.
Sen. Melissa Wintrow said she believes the legislation targets a specific group. “We have plenty of laws that actually delineate penalties for behaviors that we don’t agree with in a society,” she said. “I just don’t think it’s needed.”
The ACLU of Idaho released a statement condemning lawmakers' decision to advance the bill. "The purpose and effect of HB 752 is to threaten trans people who are trying to use public facilities for their intended purpose," the organization wrote. "Lawmakers ignored overwhelming evidence that trans folks do not harm people in bathrooms, and instead resorted to demonizing the trans community without offering any robust evidence to justify their stance."
The measure is now headed to the full Idaho Senate for debate. If approved by the Senate and signed by the governor, the law would take effect July 1.
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