What's happening
This bill requires all single occupancy bathrooms in state owned or operated buildings to be designated as gender neutral.
Why it matters
Improves privacy and accessibility. By requiring single occupancy bathrooms to be gender neutral, the bill ensures that anyone—regardless of gender identity—can use these facilities, making public buildings more inclusive and reducing potential discomfort or confrontation.
Reduces barriers for transgender and non-binary people. This change directly addresses challenges faced by transgender, non-binary, and gender non-conforming individuals, who may otherwise risk harassment or exclusion when using gendered restrooms.
Covers a broad range of buildings. The bill’s definition includes not only state-owned buildings but also privately owned spaces primarily used for official state business, expanding the reach and impact of the policy.
Provides clear implementation guidelines. The bill assigns responsibility to the commissioner of general services and allows for the necessary administrative rule changes, ensuring a structured and timely rollout of the new requirements.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Make Bathrooms Gender Neutral
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
History
- Substituted by S5922
- Ordered to third reading rules cal.170
- Rules report cal.170
- Reported
- 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
Signed by Governor · Sponsor Julia Salazar
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
109
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY (Prefiled)
January 9, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. L. ROSENTHAL, SEAWRIGHT, ARROYO, SIMON, GALEF, MOSLEY, DINOWITZ, ORTIZ, D'URSO, DE LA ROSA, QUART -- read once and referred to the Committee on Governmental Operations
AN ACT to amend the public buildings law, in relation to requiring that all single occupancy bathrooms in state owned or operated buildings be designated as gender neutral
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The public buildings law is amended by adding a new section 145 to read as follows:
§ 145. Gender neutral single occupancy bathrooms. The commissioner of general services shall have the power and it shall be his or her duty to ensure that all single occupancy bathrooms in state owned or operated buildings be designated as gender neutral single occupancy bathrooms. 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 is primarily used for official state business; and "single occupancy" shall mean intended for use by no more than one occupant at a time or for family or assisted use.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have become a law; provided, however, that the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date is authorized to be made and completed on or before such effective date.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01856-01-9
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.