Today, a public hearing is scheduled in Harrisburg on one of the proposals related to Governor Wolf’s Bathroom Bills (SB1306). Randall Wenger, Chief Counsel for Pennsylvania Family Council, will be giving testimony as part of a panel before the Senate Labor and Industry Committee.
Currently, there are five proposed pieces of legislation that pose threats to your religious freedom and privacy rights. All would add the special statuses of “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” to all or parts of our current Pennsylvania Human Relations Act.
Here’s a breakdown of this legislation:
1. SB1306 – Employment
Summary: Employers would be forced to open their sex-specific locker rooms, showers, and restrooms to the opposite biological sex in places of employment throughout Pennsylvania. SB1306 would also make it illegal for religious schools, churches and other religious organizations to only hire employees that agree with the religious organization’s teaching on sexuality, marriage and gender.
Status: No votes thus far. Public hearing on August 30 (no vote takes place during hearing) for Senate Labor & Industry Committee.
2. SB1307 – Housing
Summary: Women would be forced to be paired with men who identify as women (and vice versa) in dormitories in colleges, boarding schools, homeless shelters, summer camps and similar settings. Also, all women-only facilities (bathrooms and showers) in those housing accommodations would be available to men and boys who identify as women and girls (and vice versa).
Status: Passed out of Senate Urban Affairs and Housing Committee on June 22nd. SB1306 added as an amendment. Religious Freedom amendment voted down. Currently in Senate Appropriations Committee.
3. SB1316 – Public Accommodation
Summary: All 56 categories of businesses outlined in the PA Human Relations Act, including swimming pools, amusement parks and schools, would be forced to allow men into women-only bathrooms, locker rooms and showers (and vice versa).
Status: No votes thus far. Public hearing scheduled on September 26th (no vote takes place in hearing) for Senate State Government Committee.
TAKE ACTION:
Tell your State Senator and State Representative to OPPOSE SB1306, SB1307 & SB1316. To send an email: tinyurl.com/PASenateNews
4. SB974
Summary: A combination of SB1306, SB1307 & SB1316, posing significant threats to your religious freedom and privacy rights.
Status: No votes thus far. Public hearing scheduled on September 26th (no vote takes place in hearing) for Senate State Government Committee.
5. HB1510
Summary: Same results as SB974, posing significant threats to your religious freedom and privacy rights.
Status: No votes thus far. Currently in House State Government Committee. An effort to pass a discharge resolution to pass out of committee was presented in July but no vote took place.
TAKE ACTION:
Tell your State Senator and State Representative to OPPOSE SB974 & HB1510. To send an email: tinyurl.com/defendmyprivacy
Being in the 2015-2016 legislative session, in order for this legislation to become law, it must pass both the State House and State Senate as well as be signed by the Governor by the end of 2016.
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For a one-page summary of Governor Wolf’s Bathroom Bills, click here.