Bill > S691

Introduced Session

This bill would require baby diaper changing stations in any newly constructed men or women's public restroom maintained on any publicly-accessible floor of a group A or M occupancy within the State. It would also require any group A or M occupancy to install changing stations during renovations to existing restrooms, costing $5,000 or more. The bill would further require the owner or operator of a group A or M occupancy to post signage to direct visitors to baby diaper changing station-equipped restrooms, when newly-constructed or renovated. Additionally, the bill would require public buildings, that contain group A or M occupancies, to install baby diaper changing tables in each accessible floor of each group A or M occupancy on or before the first day of the 37th month following enactment. If, however, the public building is a K-12 school, the bill would only require one changing table accessible to men and women per campus within the 37-month deadline. A county, municipality, or board of education would be permitted to apply to the Department of Community Affairs for a reimbursement of the expense of installation. The bill appropriates $500,000 from the general fund to address this expense. Failure to comply with the provisions of this bill would result in liability for a penalty of not more than $500 for each violation. Under the bill, "group A or M occupancy" means an Assembly Group A occupancy or a Mercantile Group M occupancy, as defined in chapter 3 of the 2015 New Jersey International Building Code. More specifically, the terms encompass the following: (1) assembly group A occupancies include but are not limited to theaters, banquet halls and restaurants, amusement arcades, art galleries, bowling allies, community halls, courtrooms, dance halls, libraries, places of religious worship, waiting areas in transportation terminals, bleachers and grandstands, and arenas and stadiums; and (2) mercantile group M occupancies include but are not limited to department stores, drug stores, markets, motor-fuel dispensing facilities, retail or wholesale stores, and sales rooms. Under the bill, casinos, nightclubs, taverns, and bars are excluded from the "group A or M occupancy" definition.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Teresa Ruiz (D)*, 

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee (on 01/14/2020)

Official Document