Idaho's Republican-controlled legislature advanced a measure on Friday that would prohibit people from using public restrooms or changing facilities that do not match the sex they were assigned at birth. The state Senate approved the bill by a 28-7 vote following its passage in the Idaho House of Representatives the prior week.
The legislation, which supporters say is aimed at regulating access to single-sex facilities, is expected to be signed into law by Governor Brad Little. If enacted, it would make it a criminal offense to enter a restroom or changing room designated for the opposite biological sex in government-owned buildings and in private establishments such as restaurants, stores and other businesses that provide public bathrooms.
Under the provisions outlined in the bill, the first offense would be classified as a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail. A subsequent offense committed within a five-year period would be treated as a felony, carrying a potential prison sentence of up to five years. The new rules are scheduled to take effect in July.
The passage of this bill adds to a broader set of restrictions targeting transgender people at both state and national levels. The article notes that these efforts have increased since President Donald Trump returned to office last year. It references a series of executive actions by the president aimed at transgender rights and a directive stating that the U.S. government will recognize only two sexes: male and female.
Idaho joins approximately 20 states that have enacted some form of bathroom access limits for transgender people, according to a tally by the Movement Advancement Project, a think tank that advocates for transgender rights. Earlier legislative action in the state also created a civil remedy allowing students to sue schools for $5,000 if they encounter a transgender student in a bathroom in violation of the law.
Context and implications
The measure applies to government facilities and private businesses that offer public restrooms, extending criminal liability into both public and commercial spaces. The staggered penalty structure - misdemeanor for a first offense and felony for a repeat offense within five years - establishes escalating criminal consequences for violations once the law takes effect in July.
The broader political environment cited in the reporting ties state-level activity to federal actions, indicating these state bills are proceeding amid executive-level directives concerning recognition of sex by the federal government.