North Carolina's Senate has approved a bill to retool a law prohibiting transgender people from using bathrooms in accordance with their gender identities, a measure that had triggered boycotts by companies and sports leagues.
Republican legislative leaders said late on Wednesday that they had reached a compromise with Democratic Governor Roy Cooper to scrap the year-old law, the only one of its kind in the United States.
The announcement came days after the National Collegiate Athletic Association said it would not award the state hosting honours for its championship events through 2022 unless there were changes to the law.
After a brief floor debate, the state Senate approved a three-part proposal that would repeal the law known as House Bill 2.
The new provisions would still ban local municipalities, schools and others from regulating bathroom access. The deal also blocks cities from offering their own job and bathroom protections to groups classified as vulnerable for nearly four years.
The measure next moves to the state House of Representatives for a vote. If the House approves it, it will go to Governor Cooper, who is expected to sign it.
Reuters
