SD House committee advances ban on trans restroom policies

PIERRE, S.D. – A South Dakota bill that would ban transgender students from using school restrooms that match their gender identity has cleared its first hurdle in the Legislature.

The House State Affairs committee sent the bill to a vote on the House floor. The Republican-controlled Legislature has taken up several bills that deal with transgender youth this year.

Transgender advocates and organizations representing school districts say the bills will only increase the bullying and alienation trans students face.

Many Republican lawmakers say students should be assessed based on the biological sex on their birth certificate.