Gov. Laura Kelly Vetoes “Bathroom Bounty” Bill; HRC Urges Legislature to Sustain Veto

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, equality champion and Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed a horrific “bathroom bounty” bill, the latest cruel measure targeting transgender Kansans from the Republican legislature.  

On January 28, Kansas Republicans passed Senate Bill 244, a sweeping anti-transgender measure that restricts access to bathrooms and locker rooms in public buildings based on sex assigned at birth and rolls back previously updated gender markers on driver’s licenses and birth certificates. SB244 is equally bizarre and cruel, allowing for bounty-style lawsuits to be filed by those who believe they’ve shared a bathroom with a transgender person for “damages” of at least $1,000. Lawmakers advanced the bill using a “gut-and-go” tactic that removed the bill’s original, unrelated language and replaced it with the anti-trans provisions without public notice or opportunity for testimony. After SB244 was brought to the floor for debate, State Rep. Abi Boatman, who is transgender, emphasized the inhumanity of the bill: “I have sat here for five and half hours, and listened to this entire room debate my humanity and my ability to participate in the most basic functions of society. And from the bottom of my heart, I hope none of you have to ever sit through something like that.” 

Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson issued the following statement: 

“The length that Republican lawmakers will go in attacking the transgender community instead of solving real issues facing Kansans is appalling. SB244 is about invading privacy, forcing people into the wrong bathrooms, stripping transgender Kansans of accurate IDs, and inviting government-sanctioned harassment — all pushed through using cynical procedural tricks to silence public opposition. Shameful policies like this are part and parcel of a national right-wing anti-LGBTQ+ campaign, and they don’t make anyone safer. They green light harassment and violence targeting transgender people while opening the door to invasive gender policing that affects everyone.

“We’re grateful to Governor Laura Kelly and Kansas State Rep. Abi Boatman for continuing to stand up for transgender Kansans. They have been consistent, courageous defenders of dignity, privacy, and freedom for all. HRC will work to ensure the legislature sustains the Governor’s veto and gets back to work on policies that support all Kansas families, instead of discriminating against them.” 

According to data from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Municipal Equality Index, SB244 would cut directly against the inclusive workplace policies many Kansas cities have already adopted. Most rated cities prohibit discrimination in city employment based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and several provide LGBTQ+-inclusive benefits, recruitment efforts, and workplace supports. The bill’s broad restrictions across public buildings, including schools, universities, airports, and government offices, would affect large numbers of public-sector employees and contribute to a chilling effect at work. HRC data also show nearly half of LGBTQ+ adults report becoming less open about their identity in the past year, including at work. Measures like SB244 ultimately undermine talent retention, worker productivity, and Kansas’s ability to compete for businesses and investment.

There are currently 20 states that restrict transgender people’s access to bathrooms and other facilities in K–12 schools and/or government-owned buildings. Nationwide, one in three transgender people already live in states with school bathroom bans, and nearly one in five live where those restrictions extend across public buildings like libraries, courthouses, and universities.

 The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is the nation’s largest LGBTQ+ civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) people, with 3.6 million members and supporters. The HRC Foundation (a 501(c)(3)) works to ensure LGBTQ+ people are safe, seen and supported where it matters most: at school, at work and in every community across the country. From the courtroom to the classroom, from Congress to corporate America, HRC and the HRC Foundation build power through partnerships, storytelling, and action—working to create a future rooted in equity, freedom and belonging for all LGBTQ+ people.