What's happening
This bill requires all single occupancy bathrooms in public places and schools in New York to be designated as gender neutral.
Why it matters
Expands access and privacy. By making all single-occupancy bathrooms gender neutral, the bill helps ensure that anyone—including non-binary, transgender, or gender nonconforming people—can use these facilities without fear of confrontation or discrimination.
Reduces wait times and improves convenience. Gender-neutral single-stall bathrooms can be used by anyone, which can reduce lines and wait times, particularly in busy public places such as restaurants, schools, and government buildings.
Mandates clear signage. The law requires that all gender-neutral bathrooms be clearly marked, reducing confusion and ensuring that everyone knows which bathrooms are available to them.
Standardizes policy across education and public sectors. By requiring school districts, colleges, and universities to adopt written policies for gender-neutral single occupancy restrooms, the bill creates consistent, statewide protections and practices, rather than leaving decisions up to individual institutions.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Make Bathrooms Gender Neutral
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
58 Co-sponsors
- Inez E. Dickens
- Walter T. Mosley
- Ellen C. Jaffee
- Felix Ortiz
- Michael Blake
- Marcos Crespo
- Fred Thiele
- Jo Anne Simon
- Sandy Galef
- Carmen E. Arroyo
- Deborah Glick
- Monica P. Wallace
- Andrew Raia
- Andrew Hevesi
- Thomas Abinanti
- Anthony D'Urso
- Dean Murray
- Dan Quart
- Michael Cusick
- Alicia Hyndman
- Carmen De La Rosa
- Victor M. Pichardo
- Barbara Lifton
- Harry B. Bronson
- Rebecca Seawright
- Phil Steck
- Jose Rivera
- Yuh-Line Niou
- Nily Rozic
- James Skoufis
- Aravella Simotas
- Kevin M. Byrne
- Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn
- Angelo Santabarbara
- Carrie Woerner
- Patricia Fahy
- Clyde Vanel
- Aileen Gunther
- Latrice Walker
- Catherine Nolan
- Kenneth Zebrowski
- Christine Pellegrino
- Tremaine Wright
- Kevin Cahill
- Albert A. Stirpe
- Michaelle C. Solages
- Ari Espinal
- Joseph Lentol
- Ron Kim
- Harvey Epstein
- Kimberly Jean-Pierre
- Helene Weinstein
- N. Nick Perry
- Robert C. Carroll
- Stacey Pheffer Amato
- Billy Jones
- Richard Gottfried
- David Buchwald
History
- Referred to governmental operations
- Amend and recommit to rules 6500a
- Reported referred to rules
- Referred to governmental operations
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Make Bathrooms Gender Neutral
In Senate Committee · Codes · Sponsor Andrew J. Lanza
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
6500--A
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
March 7, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. O'DONNELL, DICKENS, MOSLEY, JAFFEE, ORTIZ -- read once and referred to the Committee on Governmental Operations -reported and referred to the Committee on Rules -- Rules Committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to the Committee on Rules
AN ACT to amend the civil rights law and the education law, in relation to single occupancy bathroom facilities
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The civil rights law is amended by adding a new section 79-o to read as follows:
§ 79-o. Gender neutral single occupancy bathroom facilities. 1. All single occupancy bathroom facilities located in public places, including but not limited to those located in restaurants, bars, mercantile establishments, factories or state-owned or operated buildings, shall be designated as gender neutral for use by no more than one occupant at a time or for family or assisted use. For purposes of this section, "state-owned or operated buildings" shall mean any state-owned property used for official state business and shall include any building or office space, not owned by the state, but which primary use is for official state business.
2. Such gender neutral bathroom facilities shall be clearly designated by the posting of such on or near each facility.
§ 2. The education law is amended by adding a new section 409-m to read as follows:
§ 409-m. Gender neutral single occupancy bathroom facilities. The board of education or trustees of every school district or, in the case of the city school district of New York, the chancellor, and every board of cooperative educational services, charter school and nonpublic school within the state shall develop policies and procedures requiring that all single occupancy bathroom facilities are designated as gender
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD10268-03-7
A. 6500--A 2
neutral for use by no more than one occupant at a time or for family or assisted use. Such gender neutral bathroom facilities shall be clearly designated by the posting of such on or near each facility.
§ 3. Section 355 of the education law is amended by adding a new subdivision 20 to read as follows:
20. The state university trustees shall adopt rules requiring that each institution of the state university of New York adopt written policies requiring that all public single occupancy bathroom facilities be designated as gender neutral for use by no more than one occupant at a time or for family or assisted use. Such gender neutral bathroom facilities shall be clearly designated by the posting of such on or near each facility.
§ 4. Section 6206 of the education law is amended by adding a new subdivision 20 to read as follows:
20. The board of trustees shall adopt rules requiring that each institution of the city university of New York adopt written policies requiring that all public single occupancy bathroom facilities be designated as gender neutral for use by no more than one occupant at a time or for family or assisted use. Such gender neutral bathroom facilities shall be clearly designated by the posting of such on or near each facility.
§ 5. Section 6306 of the education law is amended by adding a new subdivision 11 to read as follows:
11. The board of trustees of each community college shall adopt written policies requiring that all public single occupancy bathroom facilities be designated as gender neutral for use by no more than one occupant at a time or for family or assisted use. Such gender neutral bathroom facilities shall be clearly designated by the posting of such on or near each facility.
§ 6. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have become a law.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.