H.B. No. 416

AN ACT

relating to providing for restroom access for persons with certain medical conditions; providing a criminal penalty.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. This Act may be cited as the Restroom Access Act.

SECTION 2. Subchapter D, Chapter 341, Health and Safety Code, is amended by adding Section 341.069 to read as follows:

Sec. 341.069. ACCESS TO RESTROOM FACILITIES. (a) In this section:

(1) "Customer" means an individual who is lawfully on the premises of a retail establishment.

(2) "Eligible medical condition" means Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, or any other permanent or temporary medical condition that requires immediate access to a toilet facility.

(3) "Physician" has the meaning assigned by Section 151.002, Occupations Code.

(4) "Retail establishment" means a place of business open to the general public for the sale of goods or services.

(b) A retail establishment that has a toilet facility for its employees shall allow a customer to use the toilet facility during normal business hours if:

(1) the retail establishment does not have a public restroom that is immediately accessible to the customer;

(2) the employee toilet facility is not located in an area where providing access would create an obvious health or safety risk to the customer or an obvious security risk to the retail establishment;

(3) the customer requesting use of the employee toilet facility provides the retail establishment with evidence of the customer's eligible medical condition including:

(A) a copy of a statement signed by a physician, a registered nurse, a physician's assistant, or a person acting under the delegation and supervision of a licensed physician in conformance with Subchapter A, Chapter 157, Occupations Code, that indicates the customer suffers from an eligible medical condition or uses an ostomy device; or

(B) an identification card that is issued by a nationally recognized health organization or a local health department and that indicates the customer suffers from an eligible medical condition or uses an ostomy device; and

(4) three or more employees of the retail establishment are working and physically present on the premises of the retail establishment at the time the customer requests to use the employee toilet facility.

(c) A customer who uses a toilet facility as authorized by this section shall leave the toilet facility in the same condition as it was before the customer used the toilet facility.

(d) In providing access to an employee toilet facility under this section, the retail establishment or employee does not owe the customer to whom access is provided a greater degree of care than is owed to a licensee on the premises.

(e) An employee of a retail establishment who refuses to provide a customer with access to an employee toilet facility as required by this section commits an offense. An offense under this section is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than $100.

(f) A retail establishment is not required to make any physical changes to an employee toilet facility under this section.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2007.

______________________________ ______________________________

President of the Senate Speaker of the House

I certify that H.B. No. 416 was passed by the House on April 11, 2007, by the following vote: Yeas 113, Nays 32, 2 present, not voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B. No. 416 on May 16, 2007, by the following vote: Yeas 105, Nays 37, 2 present, not voting.

______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House

I certify that H.B. No. 416 was passed by the Senate, with amendments, on May 14, 2007, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 1.

______________________________ Secretary of the Senate APPROVED: __________________

Date

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Governor