After a decade of contentious debate and failed attempts, the Texas Legislature has passed a bill restricting transgender individuals' access to public restrooms in public buildings, a move critics decry as a solution in search of a problem and proponents frame as a victory for privacy.

Senate Bill 8 was passed by the state Senate on Aug. 19 and by the state House on Aug. 28. It now heads to Gov. Greg Abbott, who is expected to sign it into law. The bill mandates that all public institutions, including but not limited to universities, courts, state rest stops, and family violence shelters, establish a policy to ensure that bathrooms and similar private spaces are designated according to biological sex as defined by the state.

The legislation empowers private individuals to enforce

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