An Act To Ensure Persons with Disabilities Have Access to Public Rest Rooms

Sec. 1. 5 MRSA §4594-G, sub-§12  is enacted to read:

Sec. 2. 5 MRSA §4594-H  is enacted to read:

§ 4594-H.  Requirements for public buildings

Single-occupancy bathrooms available for use by the public in a public building, as defined in section 4594-G, subsection 6, may not be designated as gender specific.

SUMMARY

This bill provides that single-occupancy bathrooms in existing buildings for use by the general public may not be designated as gender specific. It also requires that new construction of buildings for use by the general public include the construction of single-occupancy bathrooms that meet the standards of construction for new buildings and the federal Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. The bathrooms may not be designated as gender specific; the purpose of this provision is to ensure that a person with a disability using the bathroom may be assisted by an attendant of a different gender.