HB1156

This bill establishes requirements for public school districts and open-enrollment public charter schools in Arkansas regarding student overnight trips and the use of multiple-occupancy restrooms or changing areas. It mandates that students on school-sponsored overnight trips share sleeping quarters with individuals of the same sex, unless they are immediate family members, or be provided with single-occupancy sleeping quarters. Furthermore, it requires that multiple-occupancy restrooms and changing areas be designated for the exclusive use of either the male or female sex, based on genetics and physiology as identified on a student's original birth certificate. Schools must provide reasonable accommodations, such as single-occupancy facilities, for individuals unwilling or unable to use restrooms designated for their sex, provided those accommodations do not conflict with the core mandates of the bill. The legislation outlines specific exceptions for custodial, emergency, or medical circumstances. It also establishes a process for reporting noncompliance to the Professional Licensure Standards Board, which may result in fines for school officials and teachers, and grants parents or guardians a private cause of action against schools for certain violations.