Relates to requiring gender neutral bathrooms in state-owned buildings; requires each state agency to ensure, to the extent practicable, that all state-owned and state-leased buildings under its jurisdiction have at least one multiple-occupancy bathroom in such building designated as gender neutral.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
 
BILL NUMBER: A523A
SPONSOR: Epstein
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the public buildings law, in relation to requiring
gender neutral bathrooms in state-owned buildings
 
PURPOSE:
To require that all government owned and operated buildings and facili-
ties have at least one all gender restroom.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 amends section 145 of the public buildings law by adding a new
subdivision 3 requiring state owned and operated buildings to have at
least one multiple-occupancy bathroom.
Section 2 provides the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
New York State law requires that all government owned and operated
buildings have at least one all gender single-occupancy bathroom. In
buildings that do not have a single-occupancy bathroom, however, indi-
viduals are forced to use a gendered multiple-occupancy bathroom which
may not correspond with their gender identity.
According to a 2022 report released by the New York State Department of
Health .5% of the total state population, and 1.5% of the 18 to 24 year
old population in NYS identify as transgender or gender nonconforming.
All government buildings should offer at least one all gender bathroom
even if they do not have a single-occupancy bathroom. Every New Yorker
should have access to a bathroom where they feel safe and comfortable.
 
FISCAL IMPACT:
None
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2022: A10652 (Epstein) I No Same as - Assembly Governmental Operations
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have
become a law.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
523--A
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 9, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. EPSTEIN, RAGA, LEVENBERG, BURDICK -- read once
and referred to the Committee on Governmental Operations -- recommit-
ted to the Committee on Governmental Operations in accordance with
Assembly Rule 3, sec. 2 -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered
reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the public buildings law, in relation to requiring
gender neutral bathrooms in state-owned buildings
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The section heading of section 145 of the public buildings
2 law, as amended by chapter 14 of the laws of 2020, is amended, subdivi-
3 sion 1 is amended by adding a new paragraph (e), and a new subdivision 3
4 is added to read as follows:
5 Gender neutral [single-occupancy] bathrooms.
6 (e) "multiple-occupancy bathroom" means a room or suite of rooms
7 containing at least one sink and at least two sanitary fixtures, such as
8 toilets or urinals, intended for simultaneous use by two or more occu-
9 pants.
10 3. Each state agency shall ensure, to the extent practicable, that all
11 state-owned and state-leased buildings under its jurisdiction have at
12 least one multiple-occupancy bathroom in such building designated as
13 gender neutral.
14 § 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
15 have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02065-02-4