Tennessee lawmakers have passed legislation that would require businesses to post signs saying they allow transgender individuals to use public restrooms and locker rooms, including in Nashville, where many associations are planning upcoming events.

The proposed law is one of at least four bills targeting transgender individuals passed by the Tennessee General Assembly this year. By focusing on public restrooms, the legislation bears a passing resemblance to a law enacted in North Carolina in 2016 that barred transgender individuals from using restrooms not corresponding to their sex at the time of birth. That law resulted in denunciations from several associations and threats to pull events from the state.

The North Carolina law and legislation in other states led to ASAE adopting a policy stating it would not hold events in states or cities where discrimination is permitted on the basis of sexual preference, gender identification or other factors. The association weighed in on the Tennessee bill in a letter to Gov. Bill Lee on Thursday, urging him to veto it. CEO Susan Robertson noted that ASAE's 2014 annual meeting in Nashville contributed $16 million to the city's economy over four days. The meeting is scheduled to return to the city in 2022.

"Laws like HB 1182 (the signage bill) put that type of economic gain in peril," Robertson said. "Proponents of this bill may believe it is narrowly focused, but the reality is that it has garnered national attention and broadcasts an unflattering message about the state and its treatment of all individuals who reside in or visit the state."

The Tennessee bill would require businesses to post public signs saying they allow "the use of restrooms by either biological sex, regardless of the designation on the restroom," according to the text of the bill. If signed by the governor, it will take effect July 1. Penalties would only apply to businesses.

"It protects everyone, whether you are a transgender or regardless. If a woman opens the door and sees a man standing in a restroom, she might start screaming and take action," bill sponsor state Rep. Tim Rudd (R-Murfreesboro) told the news station WSMV in April. "If your notice is outside the door it lets everyone know what to expect."

The legislation is one of a wave of bills being passed by Republican-controlled state legislatures in response to conservative concerns about the increased visibility of transgender individuals in society. Tennessee passed a law in March banning transgender youth from participating in middle and high school sports. Other legislation currently awaiting the governor's signature would ban gender transition medical procedures for youth and make it easier for parents to sue public schools that allow transgender youth to use restrooms and locker rooms.

ASAE and other associations have spoken out against such laws in the past, with the American Medical Association more recently urging state governors to veto legislation that would curb access to gender-affirming health care for transgender youth. Nashville will host multiple association events in coming months, in part because the city's restrictions on large crowds are less rigid than some other popular meetings destinations. The Federation of American Hospitals moved its upcoming conference from Washington, D.C., to Nashville for that reason, for example.

The signage bill arrived at Lee's desk on April 30, according to CNN. The governor has 10 days after receiving legislation to veto it, sign it or not sign it, at which point it would become law.

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