FIRST REGULAR SESSION
SENATE BILL NO. 597
103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY SENATOR GREGORY (15).
1800S.01I KRISTINA MARTIN, Secretary
AN ACT
To amend chapters 8, 171, and 173, RSMo, by adding thereto three new sections relating to single-
sex access to certain facilities.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Chapters 8, 171, a nd 173, RSMo, are amended by 1
adding thereto three new sections, to be known as sections 2
8.1000, 171.422, and 173.1422, to read as follows:3
8.1000. 1. As used in this section, the following 1
terms mean: 2
(1) "Biological sex", as such term is de fined in 3
section 191.1720; 4
(2) "Family facility", a family restroom or shower 5
room that does not have more than one toilet or shower; 6
(3) "Gender", as such term is defined in section 7
191.1720; 8
(4) "Multi-occupancy facility", a restroom , locker 9
room, changing room, or shower room that is accessible to 10
multiple individuals at the same time. "Multi-occupancy 11
facility" shall not include a family facility; 12
(5) "Public building", any building owned by the state 13
or any department, d ivision, agency, or commission thereof, 14
and any building operated by an entity that receives state 15
funds. 16
2. (1) An entity operating a public building shall 17
designate with clear signage each multi -occupancy facility 18 SB 597 2
that is accessible by multipl e persons at the same time for 19
the exclusive use of persons of the male biological sex only 20
or for the exclusive use of persons of the female biological 21
sex only. 22
(2) An entity operating a public building shall not 23
permit a member of the female b iological sex to use a multi - 24
occupancy facility that has been designated by the public 25
building for the exclusive use of persons of the male 26
biological sex only. 27
(3) An entity operating a public building shall not 28
permit a member of the male biol ogical sex to use a multi - 29
occupancy facility that has been designated by the public 30
building for the exclusive use of persons of the female 31
biological sex only. 32
(4) An entity operating a public building shall not 33
construct, establish, or maintain a multi-occupancy facility 34
that is designated for the use of persons of a gender or 35
genders instead of, or in addition to, being designated for 36
the exclusive use of persons of the male biological sex only 37
or for the exclusive use of persons of the fem ale biological 38
sex only. This subdivision shall not be construed to 39
prohibit an entity operating a public building from 40
constructing, establishing, or maintaining a family facility. 41
3. This section shall not be construed to prohibit an 42
entity operating a public building from adopting and 43
enforcing a policy on the use of a multi -occupancy facility 44
in accordance with the provisions of this section. Any such 45
policy shall provide an option for alternative 46
accommodations, including, but not limit ed to, the use of 47
single-occupancy facilities or faculty facilities, upon the 48
request of a person due to special circumstances. 49 SB 597 3
4. Subsection 2 of this section shall not apply to any 50
of the following: 51
(1) A child under ten years of age who i s being 52
assisted by a parent, legal guardian, or family member, as 53
well as the parent, legal guardian, or family member who is 54
assisting such child; 55
(2) A person with a disability who is being assisted 56
by another person, as well as the person ass isting such 57
person with a disability; 58
(3) An employee of any department, division, agency, 59
or commission of the state whose job duties require the 60
employee to enter a multi -occupancy facility that is 61
designated for a biological sex that differs f rom such 62
employee's biological sex; or 63
(4) A person who enters a multi -occupancy facility 64
that is designated for a biological sex that differs from 65
the person's biological sex because the person reasonably 66
believes he or she is responding to a le gitimate emergency. 67
171.422. 1. As used in this section, the following 1
terms mean: 2
(1) "Biological sex", as such term is defined in 3
section 191.1720; 4
(2) "Family facility", a family restroom or shower 5
room that does not have more than one toilet or shower; 6
(3) "Gender", as such term is defined in section 7
191.1720; 8
(4) "Multi-occupancy facility", a restroom, locker 9
room, changing room, or shower room that is accessible to 10
multiple individuals at the same tim e. "Multi-occupancy 11
facility" shall not include a family facility; 12
(5) "School", includes the following: 13 SB 597 4
(a) Any charter school established pursuant to the 14
provisions of sections 160.400 to 160.425; 15
(b) Any public school, as such term is defined in 16
section 160.011; and 17
(c) Any school district, as such term is defined in 18
section 160.011. 19
2. (1) A school shall designate with clear signage 20
each multi-occupancy facility that is accessible by multiple 21
students at the same ti me, whether located in a school 22
building or in a facility used by the school for a school - 23
sponsored activity, for the exclusive use of students of the 24
male biological sex only or for the exclusive use of 25
students of the female biological sex only. 26
(2) A school shall not permit a member of the female 27
biological sex to use a multi -occupancy facility that has 28
been designated by the school for the exclusive use of 29
students of the male biological sex only. 30
(3) A school shall not permit a membe r of the male 31
biological sex to use a multi -occupancy facility that has 32
been designated by the school for the exclusive use of 33
students of the female biological sex only. 34
(4) A school shall not construct, establish, or 35
maintain a multi-occupancy facility that is designated for 36
the use of students of a gender or genders instead of, or in 37
addition to, being designated for the exclusive use of 38
students of the male biological sex only or for the 39
exclusive use of students of the female biological s ex 40
only. This subdivision shall not be construed to prohibit a 41
school from constructing, establishing, or maintaining a 42
family facility. 43
3. (1) A school shall not permit a member of the 44
female biological sex to share overnight accommodations wi th 45 SB 597 5
a member of the male biological sex in any setting where 46
students are required to stay overnight, including, but not 47
limited to, any school trip. 48
(2) A school shall not permit a member of the male 49
biological sex to share overnight accommodatio ns with a 50
member of the female biological sex in any setting where 51
students are required to stay overnight, including, but not 52
limited to, any school trip. 53
4. This section shall not be construed to prohibit a 54
school from adopting and enforcing a policy on the use of a 55
multi-occupancy facility in accordance with the provisions 56
of this section. Any such policy shall provide an option 57
for alternative accommodations, including, but not limited 58
to, the use of single -occupancy facilities or faculty 59
facilities, upon the request of a student due to special 60
circumstances. 61
5. Subsections 2 and 3 of this section shall not apply 62
to any of the following: 63
(1) A child under ten years of age who is being 64
assisted by a parent, legal guardian, o r family member, as 65
well as the parent, legal guardian, or family member who is 66
assisting such child; 67
(2) A person with a disability who is being assisted 68
by another person, as well as the person assisting such 69
person with a disability; 70
(3) An employee of an institution of higher education 71
whose job duties require the employee to enter a multi - 72
occupancy facility that is designated for a biological sex 73
that differs from such employee's biological sex; or 74
(4) A person who enters a mul ti-occupancy facility 75
that is designated for a biological sex that differs from 76 SB 597 6
the person's biological sex because the person reasonably 77
believes he or she is responding to a legitimate emergency. 78
173.1422. 1. As used in this secti on, the following 1
terms mean: 2
(1) "Biological sex", as such term is defined in 3
section 191.1720; 4
(2) "Family facility", a family restroom or shower 5
room that does not have more than one toilet or shower; 6
(3) "Gender", as such term is d efined in section 7
191.1720; 8
(4) "Institution of higher education", any public 9
institution of postsecondary education or proprietary school 10
in this state that is subject to the coordinating board for 11
higher education pursuant to section 173.005; 12
(5) "Multi-occupancy facility", a restroom, locker 13
room, changing room, or shower room that is accessible to 14
multiple individuals at the same time. "Multi-occupancy 15
facility" shall not include a family facility. 16
2. (1) An institution of hig her education shall 17
designate with clear signage each multi -occupancy facility 18
accessible by multiple students at the same time, whether 19
located in a building of the institution or in a facility 20
used by the institution for an institution -sponsored 21
activity, for the exclusive use of students of the male 22
biological sex only or for the exclusive use of students of 23
the female biological sex only. 24
(2) An institution of higher education shall not 25
permit a member of the female biological sex to use a multi- 26
occupancy facility that has been designated by the 27
institution of higher education for the exclusive use of 28
students of the male biological sex only. 29 SB 597 7
(3) An institution of higher education shall not 30
permit a member of the male biological s ex to use a multi- 31
occupancy facility that has been designated by the 32
institution of higher education for the exclusive use of 33
students of the female biological sex only. 34
(4) An institution of higher education shall not 35
construct, establish, or ma intain a multi-occupancy facility 36
that is designated for the use of students of a gender or 37
genders instead of, or in addition to, being designated for 38
the exclusive use of students of the male biological sex 39
only or for the exclusive use of students o f the female 40
biological sex only. This subdivision shall not be 41
construed to prohibit an institution of higher education 42
from constructing, establishing, or maintaining a family 43
facility. 44
3. This section shall not be construed to prohibit an 45
institution of higher education from adopting and enforcing 46
a policy on the use of a multi -occupancy facility in 47
accordance with the provisions of this section. Any such 48
policy shall provide an option for alternative 49
accommodations, including, but not l imited to, the use of 50
single-occupancy facilities or faculty facilities, upon the 51
request of a student due to special circumstances. 52
4. Subsection 2 of this section shall not apply to any 53
of the following: 54
(1) A child under ten years of age who is being 55
assisted by a parent, legal guardian, or family member, as 56
well as the parent, legal guardian, or family member who is 57
assisting such child; 58
(2) A person with a disability who is being assisted 59
by another person, as well as the perso n who is assisting 60
such person with a disability; 61 SB 597 8
(3) A school employee whose job duties require the 62
employee to enter a multi -occupancy facility that is 63
designated for a biological sex that differs from such 64
employee's biological sex; or 65
(4) A person who enters a multi -occupancy facility 66
that is designated for a biological sex that differs from 67
the person's biological sex because the person reasonably 68
believes he or she is responding to a legitimate emergency. 69