Senate Education Committee to review bathroom and performance-based bills

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Senate Education Committee is set to meet Tuesday morning to review a bathroom-based bill and a performance-based bill that could affect schools across the state.

The Senate Education Committee will meet at 8 a.m. Tuesday in the Senate Lounge inside the Capitol.

Senate Bill 1558, sponsored by Rep. Dane Diehl (R-Butler), proposes that private schools should not be held civilly liable for having single-sex bathrooms and changing rooms.

According to the bill, the only people who can enter single-sex facilities are maintenance staff, emergency medical assistance or parents accompanying children aged eight or younger with school permission.

In addition, local governments are prohibited from passing rules that would stop private schools from establishing single-sex facilities. Any local government that violates the act will cover the private schools' legal costs in any resulting lawsuit.

House Bill 2710, sponsored by Republican Sen. Mike Henderson, is also up for discussion and proposes new accountability measures for public schools, charter schools, and school districts by creating the "Show Me Success Program" to provide performance-based funding to schools and districts.