Mississippi lawmakers have discreetly disposed of bills aimed at limiting the legal recognition of transgender individuals. | NBCNews

This blog originally appeared at NBC NEWS.

A proposed bill sought to limit transgender individuals’ access to bathrooms and locker rooms in public facilities, including university dormitories.

Mississippi’s Republican-led Legislature has decided not to proceed with final votes on two bills aimed at restricting the legal recognition of transgender individuals.

The bills quietly died after House and Senate leaders couldn’t reach an agreement on compromise versions before the Monday night deadline. Lawmakers were preoccupied with addressing several other complex issues at the time.

One bill aimed to limit transgender individuals’ access to bathrooms and locker rooms in public buildings, such as university dormitories. The other sought to define sex as determined at birth, asserting that “there are only two sexes, and every individual is either male or female.”

The House and Senate had previously approved distinct versions of both bills. To proceed, the Republican-majority chambers would have to reconcile and settle on a unified version of each bill before they could be presented to Republican Governor Tate Reeves.

In 2021, Reeves enacted a law prohibiting transgender athletes from participating on girls’ or women’s sports teams. Last year, he also signed a measure prohibiting gender-affirming hormones or surgeries for individuals under 18 years old.

The Mississippi proposals were part of a broader trend seen in state legislatures nationwide, where Republicans are pushing for restrictions on transgender individuals’ access to gender-affirming care, restroom facilities, and participation in sports, among other issues.