Jackson — A conference committee on House Bill 1144 approved amendment 4,007 allowing public K-12 schools to temporarily change the gender designation of restrooms during school-sponsored events and clarifying which existing restrooms are grandfathered from the bill’s restrictions.

The amendment, read into the record by Representative Freilich, states in part: "A public school may change the designation of a restroom or shower room from [one designated] to the other to accommodate a school-sponsored event." It also includes a grandfather clause exempting restrooms "in existence on 07/01/2025" and removes shower rooms from that grandfathering provision, per committee discussion.

The committee’s action also adds a cross-reference to federal disability protections. Representative Freilich told members that legislative counsel and a representative from the attorney general’s office advised including language covering the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act so that students who require assistance from a paraprofessional in a restroom would be accommodated.

Committee members debated the placement and wording of the redesignation sentence and the date used in the grandfather clause. Senator Gerhardt said the sentence placement made the text read oddly and worried "it seems like we're saying that they can't redesignate bathrooms based on a date." Legislative counsel (identified in the hearing as Liz) explained that the sentence is a permissive clarification and that moving it to a different subsection would not change legal application but could improve clarity for readers on the chamber floor.

Members discussed the scope of events that should trigger temporary redesignation. Liz suggested replacing "sporting event" with broader language; Senator Beauchez recommended "school sponsored" to capture nonathletic events and off-site activities that use school facilities. The committee agreed to change the phrase to "school-sponsored event." Representative Freilich and counsel confirmed the intent is for the designation to be temporary and limited to the time of the event.

The amendment also records a process for parents to seek resolution: a parent should first raise concerns with the local school district and then could submit a complaint to the attorney general, a change requested early in drafting by the attorney general’s office.

Representative Freilich moved the amendment with the discussed edits; Senator Gerhardt seconded. Jackson took the roll call: Representative O'Rourke — yes; Representative Freilich — yes; Representative Feigley — yes; Senator Lem — aye; Senator Gerhardt — aye; Senator Beauchez — aye. The motion carried, 6-0-0. Representative Freilich was designated as the House carrier and Senator Lim agreed to carry the amendment for the Senate.

The committee did not take further votes on the underlying bill text during the meeting. The floor-placement date and the effect of the bill’s emergency clause on the grandfathering timeline were noted as matters for the sponsor and counsel to reconcile before final passage.

For now, amendment 4,007 stands as the committee’s approved language: permitting temporary restroom redesignation during school-sponsored events, clarifying that restrooms in existence on 07/01/2025 are exempt from the subsection, removing showers from that exemption, adding federal disability-language protections, and specifying the district-then-attorney-general complaint pathway.