SB 676

This bill requires certain buildings to include at least one single-occupant

restroom with a “universal changing station,” which the bill defines as a

floor-mounted or wall-mounted, powered, and height adjustable adult changing

table with a safety rail that can be used for personal hygiene purposes by an

individual with a disability of either sex and the individual's care provider. The bill

specifies other requirements that a universal changing station must satisfy,

including requirements regarding size, maneuverability space, weight load,

adjustability, and signage.

The bill applies to certain buildings that are subject to the state's commercial

building code, which is administered by the Department of Safety and Professional

Services. Specifically, the building must be one of the following: a place of exhibition

or entertainment; a shopping center, shopping mall, or store of at least 40,000 square

feet; a place of public display or collection, including a museum, library, or gallery;

a place of recreation, including a building at a park, zoo, or amusement park; a place

of education, including an elementary, secondary, undergraduate, or postgraduate

private or public school; a social service center, including a senior center or homeless

shelter; a state or local government building, including a building at a rest area; a

public transportation station; or a professional office of a health care provider,

hospital, or rehabilitation center.

The bill's applicability also depends on whether a building is a “high capacity

building,” which the bill defines as a building with the capacity to serve more than

3,000 persons per day. The bill requires any high capacity building for which

construction begins on or after July 1, 2023, to include at least one single-occupant

restroom with a universal changing station. For any other high capacity building,

the building must have at least one single-occupant restroom with a universal

changing station only if the building owner applies for a building permit for a project

that satisfies each of the following: 1) the project alters, renovates, or makes an

addition to the building; 2) the project has an estimated cost of $15,000 or more; and

3) the project does not involve solely a parking garage.

For a building that is not a high capacity building, the bill's applicability

depends on whether the building includes at least one single-occupant restroom

before July 1, 2023. If so, the building must include at one single-occupant restroom

with a universal changing station if, on or after that date, the building owner applies

for a building permit for a project described above. If a building does not include at

least one single-occupant restroom before that date, and such a restroom is added

to the building on or after that date, the building must include one single-occupant

restroom with a universal changing station when the restroom is added.

The bill also creates an income and franchise tax credit for small businesses

that install universal changing stations. The credit applies for taxable years

beginning after December 31, 2021. Under the bill, a small business is any entity