Overview
- Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton launched an online complaint form on Dec. 17 to collect reports of alleged violations of SB 8, the Texas Women’s Privacy Act.
- The form asks for complainant identification, incident details, and evidence, and it includes an option to upload photos or documents after the complainant first notifies the accused agency and allows three business days to respond.
- SB 8 applies to government-run multi‑occupancy restrooms and similar facilities, penalizing institutions—not individuals—with $25,000 for a first violation and up to $125,000 per day for subsequent violations, while also allowing affected individuals to sue agencies.
- Texas law criminalizes photography and videography in restrooms, creating tension with the form’s photo option, and a recent 5th Circuit ruling allowed a Travis County investigation into a 2023 Capitol restroom photo to proceed.
- Civil-rights advocates, including the ACLU of Texas, warn the tip line could spur harassment and invasions of privacy, while agencies’ compliance steps vary from new signage and policies to spot checks observed at the Capitol.