PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota’s governor could make the state the first in the U.S. to approve a law that would require transgender students to use bathrooms and locker rooms that correspond to their sex at birth.
The state Senate approved the bill Tuesday. It now goes to Republican Gov. Dennis Daugaard, who has responded positively to the measure but said he would need to study it more before making a decision.
Advocates say the bill is meant to protect the privacy of students, but opponents of the bill say it’s discriminatory.
Under the bill, schools would have to provide a “reasonable accommodation” for transgender students, such as a single-occupancy bathroom or the “controlled use” of a staff-designated restroom, locker room or shower room.
