The Senate Civil Law Committee heard Sen. Becker’s SB 315 on access to employee restrooms. This bill provides that if a retail establishment has a restroom facility on its premises for the use of the retail establishment’s employees, a customer, upon request, must be allowed to use the restroom facility during normal business hours if certain conditions are met. It also specifies that a customer who uses the retail establishment’s employee restroom facility is responsible for leaving the restroom facility in the same condition as when the customer entered the restroom facility. The bill provides immunity from civil liability for any act or omission in allowing a customer to use an employee restroom facility if all of the conditions are met, provided that the act or omission is not willful or grossly negligent and occurs in an area of the retail establishment that is not accessible to the public. It also imposes a maximum $100 civil penalty for violating the provision permitting individuals with certain medical conditions to use employee restrooms at a retail establishment.
The Crohn’s and Colitis Coalition as well as individuals affected by Crohn’s and colitis testified in favor of the bill. The bill passed 6-0.
Read the bill at: https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2017/bills/senate/315