Howard Fischer
Capitol Media
A Senate panel voted to require teachers to contact parents if a student asks to be addressed by a pronoun that does not match their “biological sex.”
The measure, which now goes to the full Senate, also would require parental notification when a student asks to be addressed by something other than a first or middle name that is not listed on the official school record. The only exception would be a nickname “commonly associated with the student’s name of record.’’
SB 1166 was not the only proposal dealing with transgender and other gender issues in children that cleared the Senate Education Committee Wednesday on a 4-3 party-line vote.
The panel also voted to say that students must use showers that match their “biological sex”. In addition, SB 1182 says if a student can’t or won’t use that shower, then the school has to provide a “reasonable’’ alternative, defined as either a single-occupancy shower room or a shower room used by employees.
Both measures are variants of proposals that Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs vetoed last year.