HB478 Public restrooms; Restroom Access Act created, penalty for…

Plain English Breakdown

The bill status shows 'Passed Legislature' but also lists a future effective date of October 1, 2026. The last action listed as 'Pending Committee Action' appears to be outdated compared to the synopsis and final enrollment note.

HB478: Restroom Access Act

This bill requires retail stores with employee restrooms to let customers use them if the customer has a specific medical condition, meets safety rules, and provides proof of their condition.

What This Bill Does

Creates the 'Restroom Access Act' for public restrooms in Alabama.
Requires stores to allow eligible customers to use employee toilets during business hours only if no public restroom is immediately available.
Mandates that customers show proof of their condition, such as a signed statement from a medical professional or an ID card from the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation.
States that store owners do not owe these customers more care than they normally give to visitors on their property.
Sets a fine of up to $100 for employees who refuse access when all rules are met.

Who It Names or Affects

Retail stores open to the public that sell goods or services and have employee restrooms but no immediately accessible public restroom.
Customers with medical conditions like Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, or other needs requiring immediate toilet access who can provide proof.
Employees of retail establishments who manage restroom access.

Terms To Know

Eligible Medical Condition: Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, or any other permanent or temporary condition needing immediate toilet use.
Retail Establishment: A business open to the general public for selling goods or services.

Limits and Unknowns

Stores do not have to change their restrooms physically, such as adding ramps or new locks.
Access is only allowed if at least three employees are working and present on site when the request happens.
The law does not apply if using the employee restroom creates a clear health, safety, or security risk.
This act becomes effective on October 1, 2026.

Official Summary Text

Public restrooms; Restroom Access Act created, penalty for violation provided for

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB478 INTRODUCED
Page 0
HB478
JP873YN-1
By Representative Ingram
RFD: Commerce and Small Business
First Read: 19-Feb-26
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JP873YN-1 02/13/2026 EGC (L)EGC 2026-703
Page 1
First Read: 19-Feb-26
SYNOPSIS:
This bill would require a retail establishment
that has an employee toilet facility to allow customers
with medical conditions that require immediate access
to a toilet facility to use an employee toilet facility
under certain conditions.
This bill would require that a customer
requesting access to an employee toilet facility
provide evidence of his or her medical condition to the
retail establishment.
This bill would provide that a retail
establishment providing access to an employee toilet
facility does not owe a customer a greater degree of
care than is owed to a licensee on the premises.
This bill would not require a retail
establishment to make any physical changes to an
employee toilet facility.
This bill would establish that a refusal to
comply with this act is a misdemeanor offense
punishable by a fine.
A BILL
TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
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HB478 INTRODUCED
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AN ACT
Relating to public restrooms; to create the Restroom
Access Act; to require retail establishments to provide
restroom access to customers with eligible medical conditions;
to provide that a retail establishment does not owe a greater
duty of care to a customer accessing employee toilet
facilities than is owed to a licensee on the premises; and to
provide that a violation of this act is a misdemeanor
punishable by fine.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
Section 1. (a) This section shall be known as and may
be cited as the "Restroom Access Act."
(b) For the purposes of this section, the following
terms have the following meanings:
(1) CUSTOMER. An individual who is lawfully on the
premises of a retail establishment.
(2) ELIGIBLE MEDICAL CONDITION. Crohn's disease,
ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, or any other
permanent or temporary medical condition that requires
immediate access to a toilet facility.
(3) RETAIL ESTABLISHMENT. A place of business open to
the general public for the sale of goods or services.
(c) A retail establishment that has a toilet facility
for its employees shall allow a customer to use that facility
during normal business hours if all of the following
conditions are met:
(1) The retail establishment does not have a public
restroom that is immediately accessible to the customer.
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HB478 INTRODUCED
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restroom that is immediately accessible to the customer.
(2) The employee 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.
(3) The customer requesting the use of the employee
toilet facility suffers from an eligible medical condition,
and the customer provides the retail establishment with
evidence of the customer's eligible medical condition,
including:
a. A copy of a statement signed by a physician,
registered nurse, physician assistant, or a person acting
under the delegation and supervision of a licensed physician,
that indicates the customer suffers from an eligible medical
condition or uses an ostomy device; or
b. An identification card issued by the Crohn's &
Colitis Foundation of America that indicates the customer
suffers from an eligible medical condition or uses an ostomy
device.
(4) Three or more employees of the retail establishment
are working and physically present on the premises of the
retail establishment at the time the customer requests to use
the employee toilet facility.
(d) In providing access to an employee toilet facility
under this section, the retail establishment or employee does
not owe the customer to whom access is provided a greater
degree of care than is owed to a licensee on the premises.
(e) A retail establishment is not required to make any
physical changes to an employee toilet facility under this
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HB478 INTRODUCED
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physical changes to an employee toilet facility under this
section.
(f) An employee of a retail establishment who refuses
to provide a customer with access to an employee toilet
facility as required by this section commits a misdemeanor
punishable by a fine of not more than one hundred dollars
($100).
Section 2. This act shall become effective on October
1, 2026.
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