Texas Senate passes anti-trans restroom ban for third time in 2025

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Senate passed a bill Tuesday night that would ban transgender people from using restrooms in government-owned buildings.

It’s the third time this year that the Senate has passed the “Texas Women’s Privacy Act.” It previously sailed through the chamber as Senate Bill 240 during the regular session and as SB 7 during 2025’s first called session. The current version is the current special session’s SB 8.

It failed to pass in the Texas House of Representatives during the regular session and the first called session. Similar “restroom ban bills” also failed to pass in 2017 and in 2023.

During debate in the Texas Capitol Tuesday night, Sen. Jose Menendez, D-San Antonio, said that the bill’s supporters had filmed people in the capitol’s restrooms during a prior session.

“Folks, we’ve gone more than 10 years trying to pass this bill, and none of the horrific things that are purported [for it] to stop have been happening,” Menendez said. “There were numerous reports last session of [transgender] people in this state capitol being filmed for using the restroom, and those videos being posted online.”

Menendez, like other state senators, has asked for the bill’s supporters to produce evidence or data to show why such a law would be needed in Texas.

“As a male legislator, I want to make sure that I’m approaching women’s issues with data, an evidence-based research and most importantly, input from my constituents. This bill does not consider any of that,” he said. “We have listened to hours of testimony of individuals expressing their fear to use a bathroom because they just look different, or fear taking their child to the bathroom because they will be harassed for being in the wrong gender restroom. You know, even if you can’t understand, how this bill will impact people because they are different.”

Sen. Molly Cook also rose in opposition of the Tuesday vote.

“Men who control women are a threat to our safety,” she said. “I love my trans brothers, sisters and siblings, and I believe that they are each beautiful, miraculous creations of God. To suggest otherwise, to target and attack them, is an affront to our God’s limitless vision for his people.”

Cook argued the bill is unnecessary, as sexual assault and indecency are already illegal. She also called the bill “sloppy policy” and that it was meant to “score airtime for a campaign.”

“The author’s definitions have changed throughout his many versions of these different bills,” Cook said. “I’m sick to my stomach to know that the author refused amendments from violence shelters who needed small changes to stay in compliance with federal law and serve the impacted communities who understand how this bill will play out better than any of us.”

Ultimately, SB 8 left the Texas Senate the same way it did during other sessions in 2025, with Republican Sen. Mayes Middleton declining to offer supporting evidence requested by his colleagues.

“Members, safety and privacy are common sense, and so for all the daughters of our great state, I move final passage,” Middleton said.

He’s called those opposed to SB 8 and its copies “perverts” on social media. Hundreds of Texans registered and testified against the bill in 2025.

SB 8 is now in the Texas House of Representatives’ State Affairs Committee. It will need to pass a vote in that committee and in the House before it can reach the governor’s desk.