Topeka, Kansas — Kansas Republicans advanced a sweeping amendment Monday that would add a bathroom ban to an existing bill on gender markers, drawing sharp objections from Democrats who said the move sidestepped transparency and targeted transgender Kansans without evidence of public safety concerns.
The GOP-led House Judiciary Committee voted along party lines to amend House Bill 2426, originally focused on requiring driver’s licenses to reflect biological sex at birth. The amendment, introduced by Rep. Bob Lewis (R–Garden City), would require people using multi-occupancy bathrooms, locker rooms, or showers in Kansas government buildings to use facilities based on their sex at birth. Single-occupancy or family restrooms would remain unisex.
Democrats objected that the amendment was added without public notice and fundamentally changed the bill’s scope. Rep. John Carmichael (D–Wichita) said the measure would leave transgender and intersex people without safe access to public restrooms. Rep. Lindsay Vaughn (D–Overland Park) argued the amendment shifted the bill from driver’s licenses to “policing public spaces.”
Under the proposal, violations could escalate from written warnings to a $1,000 fine and, eventually, a misdemeanor charge. The bill also allows private lawsuits against individuals accused of violating the bathroom provisions. Supporters said exceptions exist for disability access, medical emergencies, and law enforcement.
After approving the amendment, the committee used a procedural maneuver to insert the language into Senate Bill 244, potentially avoiding a separate Senate hearing. Critics called the tactic an effort to limit public scrutiny.
If approved by both chambers, the bill would still require a two-thirds vote to override a possible veto from Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly.
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