Texas House of Representatives Rep. Stan Gerdes of District 17 has proposed a new bill aimed at stopping furry behavior in schools! The proposed bill is aimed at preventing the alleged "non-human" behavior at Texas schools, and it has the Governor's backing.

Apparently, there have been wild reports that some schools have been allowing students who "identify as cats" use litter boxes. The reports have been greatly exaggerated, there have been no actual uses of litter boxes in schools, however that hasn't stopped the wild rumors from circulating online and it hasn't stopped GOP lawmakers to use it as a talking point.

Well, now Rep. Gerdes has introduced H.B. No. 4814, otherwise known as the Forbidding Unlawful Representation of Roleplaying in Education, or F.U.R.R.I.E.S. Act, to ban "non-human behavior" in public schools, such as barking, meowing and other animal-like practices commonly used by furries.

What are Furries?

Furries are people who are part of the furry fandom, a community interested in anthropomorphic animals—animals with human-like traits such as walking on two legs, talking, or wearing clothes. This interest can range from enjoying artwork and stories featuring these characters to creating their own "fursonas" (personalized animal personas).

Some furries engage in role-playing, attend conventions, or even wear fursuits (costumes that represent their fursonas), but not all do. For many, it's just a fun and creative hobby centered around animal-human hybrids in art, animation, and storytelling.

Under the proposed bill, students would be prohibited from engaging in various animal behaviors, including using a litter box, licking themselves, making animal noises like barking, meowing, or hissing or otherwise pretending to be an animal. Also, they'd be banned from wearing items that were not designed for human use, including animal ears, whiskers, tails, collars, leashes or other accessories typically used for pets.

So long, furries! You can see the proposed bill here.