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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2015 - 2016
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | January 6, 2015 03:11 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative William C. Kortz, II |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Restroom Access Act (Former HB 1291) |
| In the near future, I plan to reintroduce House Bill 1291 from the 2013-14 session to create the Restroom Access Act. The bill would require a retail establishment that has toilet facilities for its employees to allow customers to use that facility during normal business hours if the customer suffers from an inflammatory bowel disease or any other medical condition that requires immediate access to a toilet facility. Many constituents suffer from Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis collectively known as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Causes for the disease are unknown and there are no medical cures. A common symptom of the disease is the quick onset of severe diarrhea. The Restroom Access Act requires a retail establishment to allow a customer to use that facility during normal business hours if all of the following apply: (1) The toilet facility is not located in an area where providing access would create an obvious health or safety risk to the customer or an obvious security risk to the retail establishment; (2) A public restroom is not immediately accessible to the customer; and (3) The customer provides the retail establishment with documentation that the customer uses an ostomy device or suffers from an inflammatory bowel disease. The bill allows for an up to $500 civil penalty for businesses that do not comply. Please join me in co-sponsoring this legislation. Previous co-sponsors of former HB 1291: HENNESSEY , O'BRIEN , D. COSTA, SCHLOSSBERG, CONKLIN , FLECK , CLYMER , R. MILLER , HESS , V. BROWN, COHEN , HARKINS , FRANKEL and RAVENSTAHL |
Introduced as HB1820