L.L. 2005/057
Enactment date: 6/6/2005
Int. No. 42-A
By Council Members Clarke, DeBlasio, Provenzano, Boyland, Foster, James, Lopez, Reyna, Barron, Brewer, Comrie, Jackson, Koppell, Liu, Martinez, Quinn, Reed, Rivera, Sanders, Vallone, Weprin, Gerson, Palma and The Public Advocate (Ms. Gotbaum)
A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to equal access to bathroom facilities.
Be it enacted by the Council as follows:
Section 1. Declaration of legislative findings and intent. Almost every woman can recall waiting in a long line to use the bathroom, while there was no comparable line for a neighboring men's bathroom. According to studies by Dr. Sandra Rawls on patterns of behavior in the use of bathrooms, it frequently takes women twice as long to use the bathroom as it does men. Under the City's Building Code, however, places of assembly must provide equal numbers of women's and men's water closets. This ignores the reality of the different bathroom usage times of men and women.
The 2003 International Building Code requires approximately twice as many water closets for women as for men in arenas, bars, concert halls, convention halls, motion picture theatres, public dance halls, stadiums, and theatres. Numerous jurisdictions, including California, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, and Washington, have enacted restroom equity laws. Moreover, before being amended, the Building Code Reference Standards' Table 16-5 on the minimum number of water closets had required more water closets for women than for men.
The lack of equality between men and women results in the continuation of inconveniences seemingly directed at women. The Council is seeking to address this disparity by enacting this legislation. Accordingly, the Council finds it reasonable and necessary to require that arenas, bars, concert halls, convention halls, motion picture theatres, public dance halls, stadiums, and theatres provide sufficient women's bathroom facilities.
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[Consolidated provisions are not included in this Appendix A]
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§ 4. This local law shall take effect 90 days after its enactment; except that the commissioner of buildings shall take all actions necessary, including the promulgation of rules, to implement this local law on or before the date upon which it shall take effect.