Arkansas restricts school restroom use to biological sex

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed a bill Tuesday that will protect schoolchildren from having to use restrooms with students of the opposite sex. The law will take effect in July and applies to multi-stall facilities and locker rooms in public and charter schools from kindergarten through 12th grade. Schools must provide accommodations, such as single-person bathrooms, for students who say they’re transgender. School officials who violate the law could be fined at least $1,000. Arkansas is the fourth state to enact similar legislation after Alabama, Oklahoma, and Tennessee passed similar laws.

What other state legislation on schools is moving forward this week? The Arizona Senate passed a bill Monday that would allow parents to request the removal of books from schools. Parents would be required to explain why they are opposed to the book before the Department of Education reviews their complaint. The legislation will now move to the state House for consideration.

Dig deeper: Read Christiana Kiefer’s column in WORLD Opinions about a court case that affirmed the practice of separating restrooms by biological sex.