To address those concerns, the bill asked the state attorney general to provide some guidance.
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A six-member conference committee resolved differences between versions of the bill approved first in the Senate and later in the House.
Baker has previously indicated his support for the House’s proposal, but a spokesperson said he would continue to carefully review the newly negotiated bill. “We are hopeful that the Governor has listened, and that he will sign this bill as soon as possible”.
The conference committee’s recommended bill was agreed upon in the House Thursday with 117 votes in support and 36 opposed.
Sen. Bruce Tarr, the GOP leader in the Senate, said in a statement that regardless of gender, no one “should be discriminated against and no person should be harassed or intimidated as they try to access public places”.
Rep. John Fernandes, a Milford Democrat, said the compromise bill would require the attorney general and the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination to draft guidelines for implementing the law by September 1, with all provisions taking effect by October 1.
If the pending bill becomes law, MA would become the 18th state to have such a law on its books, with full protections going into effect on October 1.
Another disagreement between the chambers was over the timing of the proposed law.
“Having protections against discrimination in those spaces are key to civil rights for (transgender) people”, said Matt Wilder, a spokesman for the advocacy group Freedom Massachusetts.
Critics argue that such a law would put women and children, and their privacy at risk. Transgender advocates said the compromise was acceptable.
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Brian Camenker of Mass Resistance predicts there will be no problem in either house, especially the Senate. There was little discussion and few spectators, and the outcome of the votes was never in question.
