Oklahoma College Bathroom Bill Advances
- mike33692
- 6 hours ago
- 2 min read
Oklahoma College Bathroom Bill Advances in House Committee
A debate over the Oklahoma college bathroom bill is moving forward at the State Capitol after a House committee approved legislation expanding a 2022 state law to include colleges and universities.
The measure, authored by Representative Toni Hasenbeck, would extend restrictions on which bathrooms students can use based on biological sex to public higher education institutions. The original 2022 law applied to public K–12 schools. Lawmakers said the goal was to clarify restroom and locker room usage in schools across the state.
The new proposal now heads to the full House for consideration.
Extending the 2022 Oklahoma Bathroom Law
In 2022, Oklahoma lawmakers passed legislation addressing bathroom use in public schools. According to the Oklahoma State Legislature, that law required multiple-occupancy restrooms and changing areas in K–12 schools to be designated for either male or female students based on biological sex.
Representative Hasenbeck told committee members that extending the Oklahoma college bathroom bill to universities is about consistency across educational settings.
She said her intent is to “protect the privacy” of individuals who were born female.
Information about current state statutes can be reviewed through the Oklahoma State Legislature’s bill tracking system at oklegislature.gov.
Committee Debate and Concerns
During the hearing, Representative Trish Ranson questioned how the bill would affect students navigating campus life, particularly in large university settings where housing and facilities may be structured differently than K–12 schools.
The exchange reflected broader national conversations about restroom policies on college campuses. The U.S. Department of Education has previously issued guidance related to sex-based protections in education under Title IX, though policies have shifted across administrations.
Advocacy groups on both sides of the issue have argued the debate involves balancing privacy rights with nondiscrimination protections. Legal interpretations of how state-level bathroom laws interact with federal law continue to evolve.
What Happens Next
With committee approval secured, the Oklahoma college bathroom bill now moves to the House floor. If passed, it would advance to the Senate for consideration.
Lawmakers expect further debate as the proposal moves through the legislative process.
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