HF280

The legislative bill under discussion aims to amend education laws concerning student privacy and athletic participation based on sex in Minnesota. The proposed changes specify the following points:

1. Athletic Teams and Sex Segregation: For children aged 12 and older (or in 7th grade and up), athletic teams can be segregated by sex if one sex has had historical limitations in access to sports. Similarly, for younger children (11 years old or below, or in 6th grade and under), teams will generally be co-ed unless there's a history of limited opportunities for a sex, in which case segregated teams might be permitted.

2. Equal Treatment of Segregated Teams: If there are segregated teams in the same sport, they must receive substantially equal funding and treatment, although the teams may practice separately.

3. Wrestling Teams: Wrestling may be segregated by sex irrespective of historical limitations.

4. Participation Restrictions Based on Chromosomes: People with a Y chromosome are not allowed to participate in teams designated for females.

5. Student Physical Privacy in Facilities: All public schools must ensure that restrooms, lockers, changing rooms, and showers are exclusively used by students based on their sex as defined by physical anatomy and chromosomes. Schools are required to maintain safe and private spaces for students in states of undress and may provide accommodations like single-occupancy or controlled use of faculty facilities if requested.

The purpose of these changes is to protect student privacy and safety while maintaining order and dignity in school facilities where students may be undressed in the presence of others. This includes specific provisions on who can use facilities designated for females.