Overview

• The House approved Senate Bill 8 on an 86-43 vote, restricting access to restrooms and changing areas in government buildings, public schools and universities, prisons and jails, and domestic violence shelters based on sex assigned at birth.
• A last‑minute amendment by Rep. Steve Toth quintupled institutional fines to $25,000 for a first violation and $125,000 for subsequent ones, with each day counted as a separate offense and penalties applying to facilities, not individuals.
• The measure authorizes the Texas attorney general to investigate complaints and sue after notice, and it permits private citizens to file complaints or lawsuits over alleged violations.
• The bill allows single‑occupancy gender‑neutral facilities and lists exceptions for custodial and maintenance workers, law enforcement, medical personnel, and young children accompanied by an adult.
• Debate was tense with the gallery cleared after outbursts and protests outside, the business community offered little organized opposition compared with 2017, and civil‑rights groups signal immediate legal challenges if the bill becomes law before the Sept. 13 special‑session deadline.