Oklahoma Religious Accommodation for Student Restrooms Bill (SB 1619)

SB 1619 would require school districts to provide separate restrooms for students who object to sharing restrooms with transgender students.

Under the bill, if a school district allows a trans student access to restrooms, athletic changing facilities, or showers for that match their gender identities, a student or the parent of legal guardian of a student enrolled in the school would be able to request a religious accommodation based on the student’s sincerely held religious beliefs.

The accommodation would need to be for the use of restrooms, athletic changing facilities or showers “designated for the exclusive use of that student’s sex”. This would require a school to grant religious accommodation by providing access to a facility that does explicitly ban transgender students.

In addition, the bill prohibits a single-occupancy facility from being considered an allowable accommodation for a student who objects to sharing restrooms with transgender students.

The bill authorizes the Attorney General to represent a school or school employee in a legal challenge to any federal regulation or mandate that requires a school district to allow access for trans students.

STATUS

The bill was introduced in response to the recent guidelines for protecting transgender students that were released by the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Education.

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