Bill > SB1619

This bill, effective July 1, 2016, establishes that "sex" in the context of school facilities refers to the physical condition of being male or female as identified at birth by an individual's anatomy. It allows students or their parents/guardians to request a religious accommodation for the use of restrooms, athletic changing facilities, or showers if a school district permits students of the opposite sex to access facilities designated for exclusive use by their own sex. This accommodation must be for the use of facilities designated for the student's identified sex at birth, and providing a single-occupancy facility is not considered an acceptable accommodation. The bill also creates a private right of action for violations and authorizes the Attorney General to represent school districts and employees against federal mandates and to intervene in legal proceedings to enforce the act.