File #: Int 0871-2015    Version: Name: Gender-neutral single-occupant bathrooms.
Type: Introduction Status: Enacted
Committee: Committee on Housing and Buildings
On agenda: 8/13/2015
Enactment date: 6/28/2016 Law number: 2016/079
Title: A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, the New York city plumbing code and the New York city building code, in relation to gender-neutral single-occupant bathrooms
Sponsors: Daniel Dromm , Corey D. Johnson, Rosie Mendez, Carlos Menchaca, Costa G. Constantinides, Donovan J. Richards, Deborah L. Rose, Andrew Cohen, Helen K. Rosenthal, Brad S. Lander, Mark Levine, Ydanis A. Rodriguez, Ritchie J. Torres, Robert E. Cornegy, Jr., Karen Koslowitz, James G. Van Bramer, Margaret S. Chin, Julissa Ferreras-Copeland, Annabel Palma, Stephen T. Levin, Elizabeth S. Crowley, Laurie A. Cumbo, Vincent J. Gentile, Inez D. Barron, Barry S. Grodenchik, Antonio Reynoso, Jumaane D. Williams, Rory I. Lancman, James Vacca, Daniel R. Garodnick, Ben Kallos
Council Member Sponsors: 31
Summary: This bill would require single-occupant toilet rooms to be usable by persons of any gender.
Attachments: 1. Legislative History Report, 2. Summary of Int. No. 871-A, 3. Summary of Int. No. 871, 4. Int. No. 871 - 8/13/15, 5. Committee Report 1/14/16, 6. Hearing Testimony 1/14/16, 7. Hearing Transcript 1/14/16, 8. Proposed Int. No. 871-A - 6/22/16, 9. Committee Report 6/20/16, 10. Hearing Transcript 6/20/16, 11. June 21, 2016 - Stated Meeting Agenda with Links to Files, 12. Committee Report - Stated Meeting, 13. Int. No. 871-A (FINAL), 14. Fiscal Impact Statement, 15. Mayor's Letter, 16. Hearing Transcript - Stated Meeting 6-21-16, 17. Minutes of the Recessed Meeting of June 14, 2016 held on June 21, 2016, 18. Minutes of the Stated Meeting - June 21, 2016, 19. Local Law 79
Date Ver.Prime SponsorAction ByActionResultAction DetailsMeeting DetailsMultimedia
6/28/2016ADaniel Dromm City Council Recved from Mayor by Council  Action details Meeting details Not available
6/28/2016ADaniel Dromm Mayor Signed Into Law by Mayor  Action details Meeting details Not available
6/28/2016ADaniel Dromm Mayor Hearing Held by Mayor  Action details Meeting details Not available
6/21/2016ADaniel Dromm City Council Sent to Mayor by Council  Action details Meeting details Not available
6/21/2016ADaniel Dromm City Council Approved by CouncilPass Action details Meeting details Not available
6/20/2016*Daniel Dromm Committee on Housing and Buildings Amended by Committee  Action details Meeting details Not available
6/20/2016*Daniel Dromm Committee on Housing and Buildings Hearing Held by Committee  Action details Meeting details Not available
6/20/2016*Daniel Dromm Committee on Housing and Buildings Amendment Proposed by Comm  Action details Meeting details Not available
6/20/2016ADaniel Dromm Committee on Housing and Buildings Approved by CommitteePass Action details Meeting details Not available
1/14/2016*Daniel Dromm Committee on Housing and Buildings Hearing Held by Committee  Action details Meeting details Not available
1/14/2016*Daniel Dromm Committee on Housing and Buildings Amendment Proposed by Comm  Action details Meeting details Not available
1/14/2016*Daniel Dromm Committee on Housing and Buildings Laid Over by Committee  Action details Meeting details Not available
8/13/2015*Daniel Dromm City Council Referred to Comm by Council  Action details Meeting details Not available
8/13/2015*Daniel Dromm City Council Introduced by Council  Action details Meeting details Not available

Int. No. 871-A

By Council Members Dromm, Johnson, Mendez, Menchaca, Constantinides, Richards, Rose, Cohen, Rosenthal, Lander, Levine, Rodriguez, Torres, Cornegy, Koslowitz, Van Bramer, Chin, Ferreras-Copeland, Palma, Levin, Crowley, Cumbo, Gentile, Barron, Grodenchik, Reynoso, Williams, Lancman, Vacca, Garodnick and Kallos

 

A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, the New York city plumbing code and the New York city building code, in relation to gender-neutral single-occupant bathrooms

 

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

Section 1.  Article 315 of title 28 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended to add new section 28-315.9 to read as follows:

§ 28-315.9 Single-occupant toilet rooms. Notwithstanding any other provision of law or rule requiring separate facilities for each sex, on and after January 1, 2017, all single-occupant toilet rooms shall be made available for use by persons of any sex in accordance with section 403.2.1 of the New York city plumbing code. Nothing in this section shall be construed to require physical alteration of a single-occupant toilet room except for the posting and maintenance of appropriate signage in accordance with section 403.4 of the New York city plumbing code.

 

§ 2. Section PC 202 of the New York city plumbing code is amended by adding a definition of “SINGLE-OCCUPANT TOILET ROOM” in alphabetical order to read as follows:

SINGLE-OCCUPANT TOILET ROOM. A toilet room with no more than one water closet and no more than one urinal.

 

Exception: A toilet room with one urinal and a door to such room that is not securable from within.

 

§ 3. Note j of table 403.1 of the New York city plumbing code, as added by local law number 41 for the year 2012, is amended to read as follows:

j. The requirements for the number of water closets for a total occupancy of 150 persons or fewer shall not apply to bars except that, subject to the requirements of Section 403.2.1, there shall be at least one water closet for men and at least one water closet for women or at least two [unisex] single-occupant toilet rooms.

 

§ 4. Section 403.1 of the New York city plumbing code, as added by local law number 41 for the year 2012, is amended to add a new section 403.1.3 to read as follows:

§ 403.1.3 Single-occupant toilet fixtures. Fixtures located within single-occupant toilet rooms are permitted to be included in the number of fixtures required by Section 403, or where applicable the 1968 Building Code, for either the male or the female occupants. Fixtures located within toilet rooms subject to the exception of Section 403.2.1 are permitted to be included in the number of fixtures required by Section 403, or where applicable the 1968 Building Code, only for that sex.

 

§ 5. Section 403 of the New York city plumbing code is amended by adding a new section 403.2.1 to read as follows:

§ 403.2.1 Single-occupant toilet rooms. All single-occupant toilet rooms shall be made available for use by persons of any sex. Existing toilet rooms shall comply with this section by no later than January 1, 2017. Nothing in this section shall be construed to affect or alter the number of toilet rooms in a building otherwise required pursuant to this code or where applicable the 1968 Building Code.

 

Exception: Where egress from a single-occupant toilet room is through a room permissibly restricted by sex.

 

§ 6. Section 403.4 of the New York city plumbing code, as added by local law number 41 for the year 2012, is amended to read as follows:

§ 403.4 Signage. Required public facilities shall be designated by a legible sign for each sex or, for a single-occupant toilet room, for all sexes. Signs shall be readily visible and located near the entrance to each toilet facility. Existing single-occupant toilet rooms shall comply with this requirement by January 1, 2017.

 

§ 7. Item 4 of section 1110.2 of the New York city building code, as amended by local law number 141 for the year 2013, is amended to read as follows:

4. At each separate-sex toilet and bathing room and inaccessible single-occupant toilet room indicating the location of the nearest accessible family or assisted-use toilet or bathing room where provided in accordance with Section 1109.2.1.

 

§ 8. This local law takes effect 120 days after it becomes law, except that the commissioner of buildings, commissioner of health and mental hygiene and commissioner of consumer affairs may take all actions necessary for its implementation, including the promulgation of rules, prior to such effective date.

 

BJR

LS 3915

5/26/16 2:14PM