Kansas Lawmakers Override Gov. Kelly’s Veto of Horrific “Bathroom Bounty” Bill

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Kansas legislature voted to override Governor Laura Kelly’s veto of SB 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. 

SB 244 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 SB 244 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: 

“Instead of meeting the needs of their constituents, Kansas lawmakers have prioritized cruelty. As one of their first acts, they forced through this “bathroom bounty” bill  under the cover of night and then overrode the governor just days later, denying LGBTQ+ Kansans and their allies an opportunity to even speak in defense of their dignity. Forcing people into the wrong bathrooms, stripping them of accurate IDs, and allowing government-sanctioned harassment doesn’t make anyone safer — it targets transgender Kansans for no reason and will undoubtedly impact many others who are targeted with animus whether or not they are transgender. Meanwhile leaders ignore real challenges facing families. This was sadly politics over people, but we will keep fighting for dignity and freedom for all LGBTQ+ people.” 

According to data from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Municipal Equality Index, SB 244 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 SB 244 ultimately undermine talent retention, worker productivity, and Kansas’s ability to compete for businesses and investment.

Kansas has now joined the shameful ranks of 20 other 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.