A Texas Senate committee is sending two bills placing restrictions on drag shows to the Senate floor, putting them up for a vote, according to reports.
FOX 4 in Dallas reported that the bills made it through the senate committee, green lighting them for further action.
A drag queen talks to a child in the crowd at a Christmas-themed event in Austin, Texas. ((Screengrab/ Tucker Carlson Tonight))
One of the bills, SB12, restricts some sexually-oriented performances on public property, at a commercial enterprise or in the presence of a minor.
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The sexually-oriented performances defined in the bill include a performer who is nude, a male performer exhibiting as a female or female performer exhibiting as a male, and using clothing, makeup or other physical traits while singing, lip-syncing, dancing or performing in any way in front of an audience.
Anyone convicted could face a misdemeanor charge, up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $4,000. Any business involved could face a fine up to $10,000.
A Drag Queen performs during a show at the Swan Dive nightclub on March 20, 2023, in Austin, Texas. Controversy and debate over four bills seeking to restrict Drag shows in the state of Texas intensifies as lawmakers continue their proposals. Bills SB 8, SB 12, and SB1601 are scheduled for a hearing this Thursday. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
If the bill is approved and signed by Gov. Gregg Abbott, it will go into effect on Sept. 1.
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The second bill, SB1601, bans Drag Queen Story Hour performances at libraries operated by municipalities in the state.
Specifically, the bill would ban any library event with minors present, where a person dressed as the opposite gender is “a primary component of the entertainment.”
If a library allows events like Drag Queen Story Hour, it would lose state funds for the following year.
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Sen. Bryan Hughes (R-Mineola) is the primary sponsor on both bills, which passed through the Texas Committee on State Affairs, 6-2.
Hughes did not immediately respond to questions regarding the bills on Tuesday.
