LINCOLN, Neb. — A bill addressing access to communal bathrooms and locker rooms was discussed Wednesday during an hours-long legislative committee hearing at the state Capitol.

The measure was heard by the Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee, where at least 12 people testified in favor of keeping locker rooms and bathrooms designated by an individual’s biological sex.

“Restrooms are private spaces that girls should not be forced to share with men. One of the responsibilities of schools is to provide a safe environment where children can learn, and LB 730 ensures that is the case for students in Nebraska,” said Elizabeth Nunnally, who supports the bill.

“I will explain why, from a biological and hygienic standpoint, sex-segregated restrooms and changing facilities are not merely a matter of tradition, but of real, measurable need. Girls and women have distinct hygiene requirements that males do not share due to their anatomy and physiology. They manage menstruation, pregnancy-related needs, postpartum care, and experience higher rates of urinary tract infections and incontinence across the lifespan,” said Dr. Greg Brown, an exercise science professor at UNK.

Opponents of the bill were given a separate opportunity to address the committee, arguing the proposal could cause more harm than good.

“That message does lasting harm to a child’s sense of self and belonging. Evidence shows that the presence of anti-LGBTQ policies has contributed to an attempted suicide rate of 24% among LGBTQ youth,” said Eric Reiter of Voices for Children in Nebraska.

“I’m a mother and a military veteran. I was born a woman, and I am still a woman. I’ve expressed myself in masculine ways, but this is simply who I am. Until recently, I never took issue with that. What concerns me now is the growing reality in America: I’m becoming less safe simply because of how I look. This bill does not exist in theory; it will be enforced in real spaces by real people under stress, with assumptions, biases, and fear,” said Kim Erwin, a military veteran.

The bill is pending advancement to Select File, where it would be debated on the legislative floor.