BILL ANALYSIS �
SB 1358
Page 1
Date of Hearing: June 24, 2014
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON BUSINESS, PROFESSIONS AND CONSUMER
PROTECTION
Susan A. Bonilla, Chair
SB 1358 (Wolk and Lara) - As Amended: May 5, 2014
SENATE VOTE : 29-1
SUBJECT : Building standards: baby diaper changing stations.
SUMMARY : Requires the California Building Standards Commission
(Commission) to adopt mandatory building standards for the
installation of baby diaper changing accommodations in restroom
facilities in places of public accommodation, as specified.
Specifically, this bill:
1)Requires the Commission to adopt, approve, codify, and publish
mandatory building standards for the installation of baby
diaper changing accommodations in restroom facilities in
places of public accommodation with the next triennial edition
of the California Building Standards Code adopted after
January 1, 2015.
2)Requires the standards to apply to newly constructed restrooms
and renovated restrooms when the renovation requires a
building permit and the value of the renovation is more than
$10,000.
3)Authorizes the Commission to appropriate funds from the
Building Standards Administration Special Revolving Fund for
the development and adoption of the standards.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Establishes the Commission to review and approve building
standards and codify and publish approved building standards
in one state building standards code. (Health and Safety Code
(HSC) Sections 18901 et seq).
2)Requires the Commission to publish editions of the Code once
every three years. In the intervening period, the Commission
SB 1358
Page 2
shall publish supplements as necessary. (HSC 18942)
3)Establishes the Building Standards Administration Special
Revolving Fund, consisting of funds from surcharges on
residential and non-residential building permits. These funds
are available to carry out the provisions of the State
Building Standards Law with an emphasis on using these funds
on the development, adoption, publication and updating of
green building standards. (HSC 18931.7)
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown
COMMENTS :
1)Purpose of this bill . This bill will require the Commission
to develop standards requiring that places of public
accommodation that build new restrooms or renovate their
restrooms at a cost of $10,000 or more install baby diaper
changing accommodations. This bill is author-sponsored.
2)Author's statement . According to the author's office,
"Currently, parents who change their babies' diapers while
away from home often find the availability of public restrooms
problematic. Parents may be forced to change their babies'
diapers on dirty bathroom floors, posing a health risk to the
child. Changing the baby in the parents' personal vehicle is
not an option for families that rely on public transit. Also,
given the trend of fair distribution of parenting
responsibilities, as compared with four decades ago, baby
changing tables should be available in both men's and women's
restrooms."
3)The Commission . The Commission, located within the Department
of General Services, was established in 1953 to review and
approve building standards and codify and publish those
standards every three years. Starting in 1989, the Commission
has published triennial editions of the Code in their entirety
every three years. Title 24 is available for purchase or to
the public at no cost through depository libraries. The last
published version of the Code was in 2013.
4)Requirements for baby diaper changing accommodations . There
is no current state requirement for the provision of baby
diaper changing accommodations, but there are some technical
standards in place for those facilities which choose to
SB 1358
Page 3
install them. However, some localities have modified their
local building codes to require placement. In 1998, Florida's
Miami-Dade County adopted standards requiring new or
substantially renovated public-oriented establishments to
install diaper-changing accommodations that are equally
accessible to women and men. San Francisco followed with
similar regulations in 2005.
5)Arguments in support . Equal Rights Advocates writes, "A 2012
Google consumer survey highlights the importance of baby
changing stations; it suggests that approximately 20% of the
U.S. population uses baby changing stations. Another study
found that nearly 90% of parents shopped or visited public
places with their children and, of these, 75% deliberately
sought out establishments with family-friendly accommodations.
"[W]e believe that providing baby changing stations in all
restrooms of public buildings is important to California
families."
6)Related legislation . SB 1350 (Lara and Wolk) is a very similar
bill requiring the Commission to adopt building standards
governing the installation of baby diaper changing stations in
places of public accommodation for equal use by men and women.
The bill will be heard in the Assembly Business, Professions,
and Consumer Protection Committee on June 24, 2014.
7)Previous legislation . AB 1105 (Mullin) of 2005 required
restaurants with three or more locations to provide a baby
changing table within or adjacent to all restroom facilities
intended for public use. That bill was held in the Assembly
Health Committee.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
American Academy of Pediatrics, California
Equal Rights Advocates
Equality California
The Association of California Commissions for Women
Opposition
None on file.
SB 1358
Page 4
Analysis Prepared by : Sarah Huchel / B.,P. & C.P. / (916)
319-3301