Senator Gee Williams filed Senate Bill 351 earlier this month in Kentucky, which aimed to stop trans folk from getting or keeping teaching licenses – but what’s going on with it?
According to Queer Kentucky, the bill didn’t get a Senate committee assignment, which would be the first step of the process.
Williams then withdrew the bill, instead filing it again as a floor amendment to House Bill 759.
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However for an amendment to be added to a bill, it has to be voted on. The bill is then voted on.
HB 759 included a number of bills that were brought together and voted on in one go. Williams adding his floor amendment to it breaks the Senate’s piggybacking rules, it’s reported.
Therefore, as per Queer Kentucky, Williams is likely to withdraw the amendment before the bill heads to a vote. But even if he doesn’t, because it breaks rules, it’s likely to be struck down.
If the bill does get passed by the Senate, it would still have to go back to the House which would have to agree to the changes made to it.
Though it’s reported that lawmakers are expected to focus on more important issues as it’s late in the legislative session.
It was originally reported by Transitics that Williams’ amendment targeted teachers diagnosed with or treated for any “disorder that is excluded from the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990s“. They include “transvestism, transsexualism, pedophilia, exhibitionism, voyeurism, gender identity disorders not resulting from physical impairments, or other sexual behaviour disorders”.
It would reportedly have also required doctors in Kentucky to “diagnose the [excluded] disorders based on the disorder definitions in the DSM III”.
However as per Queer Kentucky, the bill and amendments are going nowhere.
Speaking of his amendments, Williams told the Herald-Leader on 9 March: “Those who continue to promote such transitions and gender confusion or are themselves confused should not have teaching certificates giving them the privilege of having care, custody and control of Kentucky’s most valuable asset, our children.”
is on track to pass a new bill that would declare transgender people mentally ill and ban trans teachers from working.
State senator Gex Williams proposed the amendment to House Bill 759, which relates to teacher certification.
The amendment itself does not mention trans people specifically, but would forbid the certification of teachers who have been diagnosed with or treated for any “disorder that is excluded from the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990”.
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