Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed a bill last week protecting women and girls’ private spaces – including changing rooms, sleeping quarters and restrooms.
Gov. Sanders signed S.B. 486 into law on April 22. The bill serves two purposes:
Clarify and reconcile the meaning of “sex,” “male,” and “female” in state law; and
Preserve order and dignity in women’s restrooms, changing rooms, and sleeping quarters in facilities where women have traditionally been afforded privacy and safety.
The law stipulates that every restroom, changing room, or sleeping quarter in a shelter, state correctional facility or public building can only be used by members of the designated sex. It also stipulates that anyone who encounters a person of the opposite sex in one of those areas has a private right of action to file a lawsuit.
S.B. 486 was passed by the state Senate on April 2 in a 28-5 vote. The state House subsequently approved the bill in a 60-22 vote on April 16.
In a statement after signing the bill into law, Gov. Sanders said that she was “proud to make Arkansas law clear: men are men and women are women.”
“Arkansas will always stand up for girl’s safety and common sense,” she added.
Arkansas Family Council, a Focus on the Family-allied state family policy council, issued a statement lauding the bill’s passage.
The organization noted that in many states in recent years, men have invaded women’s private spaces, including in jails and women’s shelters – where women are often most vulnerable to abuse and assault. In other words, S.B. 486 was sorely needed.
“Act 955 (S.B. 486) is common sense legislation narrowly tailored to protect physical privacy and safety in public buildings and shelters in Arkansas,” Arkansas Family Council said. “This is a good law that Arkansans can celebrate.”
Alliance Defending Freedom Legal Counsel Sara Beth Nolan also issued a statement lauding the bill’s passage:
We extend massive kudos to the Arkansas Legislature and Gov. Sanders for their courageous decision to protect women and girls in the The Natural State.
To speak with a family help specialist or request resources, please call us at 1-800-A-FAMILY (232-6459).
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