All Gender Restrooms Are on the Way

All Gender Restrooms Are on the Way

If you’ve combed through our 2017 employment law update, you’ll find a new bill (Assembly Bill 1732) tucked into the middle of this tome that requires all single-user toilet facilities be identified as an all-gender toilet facilities using proper gender neutral signage. A “single-user toilet” is defined to mean a toilet facility with no more than one water closet (aka flushing toilet) and one urinal, with a door locking mechanism controlled by the user and designated for use by no more than one occupant at a time or for family or assisted use.

The new requirement will apply to any business, place of public accommodation, or state or local government agencies on March 1, 2017.

This bill does not require businesses to add or remove existing restroom facilities or alter current restroom structures, it simply requires a single-user restroom facility (meant for one  single-user occupant at a time) to be made available to any person.  The Bill Analysis, published by Committee Chair Rudy Salas notes: A universal access toilet facility may make it easier for parents or caregivers of opposite genders to utilize an  available restroom and provides easier access for transgender or gender non-conforming individuals to choose the appropriate restroom to use. 

Compliance requires changes to restroom signage to designate single-occupancy restrooms as “all gender.” Signage must comply with the California Building Standards Code, found at Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations. Inspectors, building officials, or other local officials responsible for code enforcement are authorized to inspect for compliance with these provisions.