New Bills Target Trans Nebraskans’ Care, Access to Public Spaces

Today, Nebraska State Sen. Kathleen Kauth introduced three bills targeting transgender Nebraskans’ medical care and their access to public spaces.

• LB 730 prohibits transgender people from accessing restrooms and locker rooms that match their gender in publicly-owned buildings.
• LB 731 creates new liability for medical providers offering safe, evidence-based care.
• LB 732 further restricts access to hormones and puberty blockers for Nebraskans under the age of 19, building on past legislation and regulations that have already pushed care out of reach for Nebraska families.

American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska Acting Legal Director Jennifer Houlden made this statement:

“Transgender people are part of our communities, families, workplaces and neighborhoods, and just like everyone else, need to be able to safely access public spaces and make their own decisions about medical care in consultation with their families and trusted providers. We will be urging lawmakers to reject all three of these bills. The bottom line is that senators should be focused on solving real issues, not inserting themselves into deeply personal medical matters or pushing community members out of public life.”

State senators have passed two laws targeting the community in the last two years: a ban on transgender youth participating in school sports consistent with their gender in 2024 and restrictions on youth access to hormone therapy and related health care in 2023. In 2023, Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen also issued an executive order that directed state agencies to define sex solely based on sex assigned at birth.