SB 119-17: Efficient Use of Education Funds Act--Failed

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

I am disinclined to rule this bill frivolous. Nonetheless I would question the alleged wisdom in this bill considering that litter can be used by humans in emergencies. What's more, before anyone is inclined to turn against this being permitted, I ask they put themselves in the place of a school district having to plan for a lockdown or a disaster type situation, or a student in that position, cut off from proper working toilets.
Litter can be feasibly used in these circumstances and in fact does a good job of dealing with the sanitary repercussions of urination. It's designed for animals but it's just as useful for people in emergencies relative to the alternatives. Sure, it's awkward, but people stuck in such situations don't necessarily have that luxury and it's silly to abandon functionality and pragmatism as guiding principles here. Functionally, I don't think it's generally wise for enacted legislation to carry forward misguided moral panics no matter how well-intentioned they are. As a long time acquaintance of the gentlewoman who introduced this bill I feel this bill came from the right place but it's clearly, uh, barking up the wrong tree.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Nonetheless I would question the alleged wisdom in this bill considering that litter can be used by humans in emergencies. What's more, before anyone is inclined to turn against this being permitted, I ask they put themselves in the place of a school district having to plan for a lockdown or a disaster type situation, or a student in that position, cut off from proper working toilets.

1. No federal funds shall be awarded to any daycare, summer camp, Pre-School, Kindergarten, or Elementary, Middle, Junior High, or High School if such program or school provides litter boxes for use by students claiming to identify as non-human animals.

As written, the proposed bill would not affect decisions made due to an emergency. It solely prohibits providing litter boxes as a matter of regular course to students delusionally claiming to not be human. It appears very narrowly drafted to avoid your hypotheticals. If schools doing such is a hoax, then this bill will have zero negative impact and have the positive impact of ending the hoax. If schools are actually doing this, they should be banned from doing so. And locking in this policy as the status quo makes sense so that in 10 years when the goal posts shift, those seeking to allow this would have the burden of changing the law, instead of the other way around. I see zero reasons not not pass this.

Well, that's more subjective territory then.
The (main) question before us then is how much social regulation we want on the books.
Nonetheless I suppose a creative lawyer might still exploit the simplicity of the provisions of this bill to seek to change school policies anyway. That at least seems to be a pertinent concern, given the willingness for people who care deeply about certain issues to use the threat of legal bills to bully people into acting the way they like (exhibit A: wedding cakes).

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Abstain

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Aye