Bill Text: IA HF2091 | 2015-2016 | 86th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: A bill for an act relating to civil rights by providing that denial of access to a restroom by a public accommodation to certain persons is an unfair or discriminatory practice.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-01-25 - Introduced, referred to Judiciary. H.J. 109. [HF2091 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2015-HF2091-Introduced.html
House File 2091 - Introduced HOUSE FILE BY WESSEL=KROESCHELL A BILL FOR 1 An Act relating to civil rights by providing that denial of 2 access to a restroom by a public accommodation to certain 3 persons is an unfair or discriminatory practice. 4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: TLSB 5327YH (2) 86 tr/nh PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. Section 216.7, subsection 1, Code 2016, is 1 2 amended by adding the following new paragraph: 1 3 NEW PARAGRAPH. 0b. To refuse or deny access to a restroom 1 4 within the public accommodation to a person with Crohn's 1 5 disease, ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, 1 6 any other inflammatory bowel disease, or any other medical 1 7 condition that requires immediate access to a restroom, or who 1 8 uses an ostomy device if a public restroom is not immediately 1 9 accessible and use of the restroom does not create an obvious 1 10 health or safety risk to the customer or an obvious security 1 11 risk to the public accommodation. 1 12 EXPLANATION 1 13 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 1 14 the explanation's substance by the members of the general assembly. 1 15 This bill provides that it is an unfair or discriminatory 1 16 practice under Code chapter 216 (the "Iowa Civil Rights Act 1 17 of 1965") for a public accommodation to refuse or deny access 1 18 to a restroom to a person with Crohn's disease, ulcerative 1 19 colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, any other inflammatory 1 20 bowel disease, or any other medical condition that requires 1 21 immediate access to a restroom, or who uses an ostomy device 1 22 if a public restroom is not immediately accessible and use 1 23 of the restroom does not create an obvious health or safety 1 24 risk to the customer or an obvious security risk to the public 1 25 accommodation. 1 26 Under current law, "public accommodation" means each and 1 27 every place, establishment, or facility of whatever kind, 1 28 nature, or class that caters or offers services, facilities, or 1 29 goods for a fee or charge to nonmembers of any organization or 1 30 association utilizing the place, establishment, or facility, 1 31 provided that any place, establishment, or facility that caters 1 32 or offers services, facilities, or goods to the nonmembers 1 33 gratuitously shall be deemed a public accommodation if the 1 34 accommodation receives governmental support or subsidy. 1 35 Public accommodation does not mean any bona fide private club 2 1 or other place, establishment, or facility which is by its 2 2 nature distinctly private, except when such distinctly private 2 3 place, establishment, or facility caters or offers services, 2 4 facilities, or goods to the nonmembers for fee or charge or 2 5 gratuitously, it shall be deemed a public accommodation during 2 6 such period. "Public accommodation" includes each state and 2 7 local government unit or tax=supported district of whatever 2 8 kind, nature, or class that offers services, facilities, 2 9 benefits, grants, or goods to the public, gratuitously or 2 10 otherwise. LSB 5327YH (2) 86 tr/nh
