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A1655
ASSEMBLY, No. 1655
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
�
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman MITCHELLE DRULIS
District 16 (Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex and Somerset)
SYNOPSIS
���� Requires installation of baby-changing stations in
certain public restrooms.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative
Counsel.
��
An Act
concerning public restrooms and supplementing
Title 26 of the Revised Statutes.
����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:
���� 1.��� a.� As used in this
section:
���� �Place of public
accommodation� means any of the following, whether publicly or privately owned
or operated on a for-profit or nonprofit basis, and which are generally
accessible to the public with a maximum occupancy of more than 25 people:� a
commercial or other office building; an office or building owned, leased, or
rented by the State or by a political subdivision of the State; restaurant;
public library; museum or art gallery; theater or concert hall; stadium or
other facility used for the holding of sporting events; shopping mall or retail
store; health care facility licensed pursuant to P.L.1971, c.136 (C.26:2H-1 et
seq.); park or playground; or public transportation facility.� A �place of
public accommodation� shall not include any premises to which a child under
three years of age is not permitted or authorized to have access.
���� "Substantial
renovation" means a construction or renovation project requiring a
building permit and where the value of the renovation to the restroom exceeds
$5,000.
���� b.��� Any place of public
accommodation that maintains public restrooms shall include a counter or table
that is designed as a baby diaper-changing station in at least one of its
public restrooms for men and for women, respectively, or in a dedicated unisex
family restroom.� The requirement shall apply only under the following
circumstances:
���� (1)�� When there is
construction of a new restroom.
���� (2)�� When there is
substantial renovation of a restroom.
���� c.���� No later than 60 days
after the effective date of P.L.��� ,
c. (C. ) (pending
before the Legislature as this bill), any place of public accommodation that
maintains women's restrooms equipped with a baby diaper-changing station shall
maintain an equal number of men's restrooms equipped with a baby
diaper-changing station.
���� d.��� The owner or operator of
a place of public accommodation who violates the provisions of this section
shall be guilty of a petty disorderly persons offense.
���� e.���� The Department of
Health or the local board of health or the board, body, or officers exercising
the functions of the local board of health according to law, upon written
complaint or having reason to suspect that a place of public accommodation is
or may be in violation of the provisions of this section, shall, by written
notification, advise the person having control of the place of public
accommodation accordingly and order appropriate action to be taken.
���� 2.��� The Commissioner of
Health, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968,
c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), shall adopt rules and regulations to effectuate the purposes of this act.
���� 3.��� This act shall take effect
on the first day of the seventh month next following enactment, but the Commissioner
of Health may take such anticipatory administrative action in advance thereof
as shall be necessary for the implementation of the act.
STATEMENT
���� This bill would require baby
diaper-changing stations in any newly constructed men�s or women's public
restroom that is maintained in a place of public accommodation within the
State.� It would also require any place of public accommodation to install changing
stations during renovations to existing restrooms when, when such renovation
requires a building permit and the value of the renovation is $5,000 or more.�
���� The bill would further require
the owner or operator of a place of public accommodation that maintains one or
more women�s restrooms with a diaper changing station to maintain an equal
number of men�s restrooms equipped with a changing station.� The bill applies
to places of public accommodation with a maximum occupancy level greater than
25 people, but does not include places that deny access to children over three
years of age.� Failure to comply with the provisions of this bill constitutes a
petty disorderly persons offense with a maximum fine of $500, which is
punishable by imprisonment for up to 30 days, a civil penalty of up to $500, or
both.