W EEKLY EDITION MAR 1, 2017
All Gender Restroom Law in California has Implications for All
Portable Restroom Operators
By Karleen Kos, PSAI Executive Director
Below is an article that ran in a December 2016 edition of
Association Insight. We've provided it below as this law is in effect
as of March 1, 2017!
On Sept. 29, California Governor Jerry Brown signed le gislation
that will require all single - occupancy restrooms in any business
establishment, place of public accommodation, or government
agency to be identified as "all gender." These restrooms will
need to be universally accessible.
Portable units are affected by the law.
The new law applies to "any business establishment, place of public accommodation, or state or local
government agency," and it is being touted as the most inclusive restroom access law in the country. I ts
requirements go into effect o n March 1, 2017. Public inspectors or building officials may check for
compliance during any inspection after that date.
The restrooms to which this law applies are toilet facilities with no more than one water closet and one urinal
and with a locking mechanism controlled by the user. For the portable sanitation industry, this includes all
free - standing single units and trailers with separate entrances into self - contained water closets. The law does
not cover trailers with gender - designated entrances t o multi - stalled areas.
Read the full text of California Assembly bill 1732 here.
Action is required.
Employers and persons responsible for ensuring public accommodation as defined
by law will need to change all signage used for their single - user restro oms. Portable
restroom operators should change all gender - specific signage by March 1 to
indicate the restroom is available for all users; that is, all gender - specific signage
should be replaced with gender - neutral signage. Manufacturers selling units for use
in California should also be aware of the law and adjust their signage to conform to
what is required.
As California goes, so goes the nation?
At present this law only pertains to California. Like many other laws that have first changed in California,
though, it is certainly possible this one will affect other areas. An indication of this is the March 2015 decision
of the Equal Employment Opportu nity Commission relating to restroom access for transgendered individuals
under federal law (read it here) and a June 2015 "Guide to Restroom Access for Transgender Workers"
published by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (read it here).
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