Texas Senate Bill 8 (2025)
Texas Senate Bill 8 , also known as the Texas Women's Privacy Act, is a 2025 law in the state of Texas that prohibits people from using public bathrooms that differ from their sex assigned at birth. It passed the Texas Legislature during a special session on September 3, 2025, and was signed by Governor Greg Abbott on September 22. The law went into effect on December 4, 2025.
It is commonly referred to as a bathroom bill due to the effects it has transgender and intersex people in the state, who prefer to use facilities that align with their gender identity. As of September 2025, it is the most severe passed bathroom bill in the United States in terms of penalties.
Background
Texas has a history of attempting to pass bills targeting bathroom access, though Senate Bill 8 was the first successful one. Six different bathroom bills have passed the Texas Senate since 2017, though none made it through the Texas House of Representatives. The first bill was introduced in 2015. A bathroom bill was passed in Odessa in 2024.In June 2025, the Texas Legislature passed House Bill 229, which modifies the definition of sex, gender, and related terms in state law. That law took effect on September 1, 2025.
Provisions
Senate Bill 8 restricts access to bathrooms and locker rooms in government facilities, K-12 schools and universities by tying it to sex assigned at birth. Transgender prisoners are also prohibited from being switched to a prison that aligns with their gender identity.Any facility which violates the provisions set out in Senate Bill 8 are fined $25,000 the first time and $125,000 for any subsequent violations, which are counted daily. Reports from private citizens are handled by the Texas Attorney General's office. The fines were quintupled in an amendment to the bill before passage, as the fines were previously $5,000 and $25,000.
Enforcement
On December 17, 2025, the office of Texas attorney general Ken Paxton launched a tip line and complaint form for the public to report suspected violations of the law.Reactions
Opposition
The ACLU of Texas publicly opposed Senate Bill 8, saying it endangered the health and safety of LGBTQ+ Texans. The Human Rights Campaign also opposed Senate Bill 8. A protest occurred outside the Texas Legislature after its passage.After the law went into effect in December 2025, a protest was held at the Texas Capitol on December 6. Four of the trans women protesting were issued criminal trespass warnings and banned from entering the Capitol for one year.
The following week, the Austin City Council passed a resolution to help replace multi-occupancy restrooms with single-person restrooms, in support of trans and nonbinary residents affected by SB 8.