Establishes standards for the design and construction of all-gender bathrooms

S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          7131

                               2025-2026 Regular Sessions

                                    I N  S E N A T E

                                      April 1, 2025
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sen.  MAY  --  read  twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Housing, Construction  and
          Community Development

        AN  ACT  to  amend  the executive law and the administrative code of the
          city of New York, in relation to establishing standards for the design
          and construction of all-gender bathrooms

          THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
        BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

     1    Section 1. Section 378 of the executive law is amended by adding a new
     2  subdivision 21 to read as follows:
     3    21. A. STANDARDS FOR ALL-GENDER BATHROOMS TO PROVIDE PRIVACY AND SECU-
     4  RITY, INCORPORATING BEST PRACTICES IN RESTROOM DESIGN, INCLUDING BUT NOT
     5  LIMITED TO:
     6    (I)  LOCKABLE  INDIVIDUAL  TOILET STALLS WITH A MINIMUM DOOR HEIGHT OF
     7  EIGHTY-FOUR INCHES AND A MAXIMUM UNDERCUT OF FOUR INCHES;
     8    (II) NO VISUAL GAPS AT THE SIDES OF DOORS AND PILASTERS;
     9    (III) SHARED  SINK  AREAS  POSITIONED  OUTSIDE  OF  INDIVIDUAL  TOILET
    10  STALLS; AND
    11    (IV) ALLOWANCE FOR SEPARATE SINKS WITHIN INDIVIDUAL STALLS.
    12    B. ALL-GENDER BATHROOMS MAY INCLUDE URINALS PROVIDED THEY ARE ENCLOSED
    13  WITHIN INDIVIDUAL LOCKABLE STALLS MEETING THE PRIVACY STANDARDS IN PARA-
    14  GRAPH A OF THIS SUBDIVISION.
    15    C.  (I)  THE DEPARTMENT SHALL PROMULGATE OR AMEND REGULATIONS TO ALLOW
    16  AND FACILITATE THE DESIGNATION,  INSTALLATION,  AND  USE  OF  ALL-GENDER
    17  BATHROOMS  IN  ANY  USE  GROUP  AS  DEFINED  IN THE STATE BUILDING CODE,
    18  INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO COMMERCIAL, INSTITUTIONAL, EDUCATIONAL, AND
    19  PUBLIC FACILITIES.
    20    (II) ALL-GENDER BATHROOMS SHALL BE PERMITTED IN BOTH NEW  CONSTRUCTION
    21  AND  EXISTING  STRUCTURES  UNDERGOING  REPAIR, RENOVATION, OR ALTERATION
    22  WORK.

         EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD09382-02-5
        S. 7131                             2

     1    (III) STANDARDS DEVELOPED PURSUANT TO THIS SUBDIVISION  SHALL  INCLUDE
     2  REQUIREMENTS  FOR SIGNAGE AND WAYFINDING STANDARDS TO ENSURE CLEAR IDEN-
     3  TIFICATION OF ALL-GENDER BATHROOMS  WHILE  MAINTAINING  INCLUSIVITY  AND
     4  ACCESSIBILITY.
     5    D.  FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SUBDIVISION, "ALL-GENDER BATHROOMS" SHALL
     6  MEAN MULTI-FIXTURE TOILET ROOMS WITH SEPARATE, LOCKABLE PARTITIONS AND A
     7  SHARED SINK AREA THAT CAN BE USED BY INDIVIDUALS OF ALL  GENDER  IDENTI-
     8  TIES.
     9    §  2.  PC  403 of chapter 4 of the plumbing code of the administrative
    10  code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new section 403.5 to
    11  read as follows:
    12    § 403.5 ALL-GENDER BATHROOMS.  1. (A) ALL-GENDER  BATHROOMS  SHALL  BE
    13  DESIGNED  TO  PROVIDE PRIVACY AND SECURITY, INCORPORATING BEST PRACTICES
    14  IN RESTROOM DESIGN, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO:
    15    (I) LOCKABLE INDIVIDUAL TOILET STALLS WITH A MINIMUM DOOR HEIGHT OF 84
    16  INCHES AND A MAXIMUM UNDERCUT OF 4 INCHES;
    17    (II) NO VISUAL GAPS AT THE SIDES OF DOORS AND PILASTERS;
    18    (III) SHARED  SINK  AREAS  POSITIONED  OUTSIDE  OF  INDIVIDUAL  TOILET
    19  STALLS; AND
    20    (IV) ALLOWANCE FOR SEPARATE SINKS WITHIN INDIVIDUAL STALLS.
    21    (B)  ALL-GENDER  BATHROOMS  MAY  INCLUDE  URINALS  PROVIDED  THEY  ARE
    22  ENCLOSED WITHIN INDIVIDUAL LOCKABLE STALLS MEETING THE PRIVACY STANDARDS
    23  IN PARAGRAPH (A) OF THIS SUBDIVISION.
    24    2. ALL-GENDER BATHROOMS SHALL BE PERMITTED IN  BOTH  NEW  CONSTRUCTION
    25  AND  EXISTING  STRUCTURES  UNDERGOING  REPAIR, RENOVATION, OR ALTERATION
    26  WORK.
    27    3. STANDARDS DEVELOPED PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION SHALL INCLUDE REQUIRE-
    28  MENTS FOR SIGNAGE AND WAYFINDING STANDARDS TO ENSURE  CLEAR  IDENTIFICA-
    29  TION  OF ALL-GENDER BATHROOMS WHILE MAINTAINING INCLUSIVITY AND ACCESSI-
    30  BILITY.
    31    4. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, "ALL-GENDER BATHROOMS" SHALL MEAN
    32  MULTI-FIXTURE TOILET ROOMS WITH  SEPARATE,  LOCKABLE  PARTITIONS  AND  A
    33  SHARED  SINK  AREA THAT CAN BE USED BY INDIVIDUALS OF ALL GENDER IDENTI-
    34  TIES.
    35    § 3. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day  after  it  shall
    36  have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or
    37  repeal  of  any  rule  or regulation necessary for the implementation of
    38  this act on its effective date are authorized to be made  and  completed
    39  on or before such effective date.