Governor Signs Physical Privacy Protection Law
On Monday Governor Sarah Sanders signed a law to protect physical privacy and safety in Arkansas.
S.B. 486 by Sen. Blake Johnson (R — Corning) and Rep. Mary Bentley (R — Perryville) protects physical privacy and safety of Arkansans in showers, locker rooms, changing rooms, restrooms, and sleeping quarters in government buildings and in state and local jails.
The law also applies to changing rooms, restrooms, and sleeping quarters in shelters for victims of domestic violence.
The law will require the facilities named in it to be designated for “male” or “female” use. The measure generally requires people to use the facility that corresponds to their biological sex.
In a statement, Governor Sanders said,
As a woman and a mom to a girl athlete, I was proud to make Arkansas law clear: men are men and women are women. It’s sad that some people don’t accept this basic fact.
Arkansas will always stand up for girl’s safety and common sense.
With the governor’s signature, S.B. 486 is now Act 955 of 2025.
Act 955 is similar to a law Arkansas passed in 2023 to protect privacy in public schools and on overnight school trips. Over the years, we have seen efforts to house men with women in jails, let men stay in women’s shelters, and give men access to women’s changing areas, locker rooms, showers, and restrooms.
Act 955 is common sense legislation narrowly tailored to protect physical privacy and safety in public buildings and shelters in Arkansas.
We want to recognize Sen. Johnson and Rep. Bentley for working so hard to sponsor this Act 955, and we want to thank the General Assembly for passing it and the governor for signing it. This is a good law that Arkansans can celebrate.
Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.
