Bill Text: NY S07697 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Amended
Bill Title: Provides for adult changing tables to be placed within an enclosed restroom facility or other similar private facility that is for use by persons with disabilities who need help with diapering at commercial places of public amusement and state-owned buildings open to the public.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced) 2024-05-06 - PRINT NUMBER 7697B [S07697 Detail]
Download: New_York-2023-S07697-Amended.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 7697--B 2023-2024 Regular Sessions IN SENATE October 13, 2023 ___________ Introduced by Sens. HARCKHAM, ASHBY, HINCHEY, ROLISON, WEBB, WEBER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules -- recommitted to the Committee on Disabilities in accordance with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8 -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said commit- tee -- reported favorably from said committee and committed to the Committee on Finance -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee AN ACT to amend the civil rights law, in relation to enacting the "trav- eling with dignity act" The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as 2 the "traveling with dignity act". 3 § 2. The civil rights law is amended by adding a new section 79-r to 4 read as follows: 5 § 79-r. Adult changing accommodations. 1. As used in this section, 6 the following terms shall have the following meanings: 7 (a) "Adult changing accommodation" means a height-adjustable adult 8 changing table that is for use by persons with disabilities who need 9 help with diapering. 10 (b) "Covered facility" means a commercial place of public amusement, 11 including auditoriums, theatres, convention centers, exhibition halls, 12 permanent amusement parks, and sports arenas, for which the maximum 13 occupancy is determined to be two thousand five hundred or more people. 14 (c) "Disability" shall have the same meaning as provided for in subdi- 15 vision twenty-one of section two hundred ninety-two of the executive 16 law. 17 2. All single-occupancy bathrooms located in covered facilities shall 18 install and maintain at least one adult changing accommodation for 19 persons with a physical disability that is accessible to individuals of EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD11897-09-4S. 7697--B 2 1 any gender when the facility is open to the public, and shall ensure 2 that such bathroom shall be clearly designated by the posting of such on 3 or near the entry door of each bathroom, and, if the facility has a 4 central directory, shall ensure that the central directory indicates the 5 location of the adult changing accommodation, provided that: 6 (a) Covered facilities newly constructed on or after January first, 7 two thousand twenty-five shall comply with the provisions of this 8 section at the time of construction; 9 (b) Existing covered facilities renovated on or after January first, 10 two thousand twenty-five, shall comply with the provisions of this 11 section at the time of renovation; and 12 (c) Any other existing covered facility shall comply with the 13 provisions of this section no later than January first, two thousand 14 thirty-two. 15 3. The commissioner of the office of general services, in collab- 16 oration with the chief disability officer, shall promulgate regulations 17 in order to effectuate the requirements of this section, including, but 18 not limited to, specifications regarding the dimensions of such adult 19 changing accommodations. 20 § 3. The public buildings law is amended by adding a new section 148 21 to read as follows: 22 § 148. Adult changing accommodations. 1. As used in this section: 23 (a) "state agency" means any state department, office, board, bureau, 24 commission, agency, or any public authority or public benefit 25 corporation at least one of whose members is appointed by the governor; 26 (b) "state-owned building" means any building owned by a state agency 27 used for official state business; 28 (c) "single-occupancy bathroom" means a bathroom intended for use by 29 no more than one occupant at a time or for family or assisted use and 30 which has a door for entry into and egress from the bathroom that may be 31 locked by the occupant to ensure privacy and security; and 32 (d) "adult changing accommodation" means a height-adjustable adult 33 changing table that is for use by persons with disabilities who need 34 help with diapering. 35 2. Each state agency shall ensure that all state-owned buildings 36 determined by the commissioner of the office of general services to be 37 open to the public shall have at least one single-occupancy bathroom in 38 such building with an adult changing accommodation by January first, two 39 thousand twenty-eight. 40 3. The commissioner of the office of general services, in collab- 41 oration with the chief disability officer, shall promulgate regulations 42 in order to effectuate the requirements of this section, including, but 43 not limited to, specifications regarding the dimensions of such adult 44 changing accommodations. 45 § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.
