Thursday, May 13, 2010
(photo: University Laboratory High School Gargoyle)
As far as Representative Steve Cohen (D-Tennessee) is concerned, the Restroom Gender Parity in Federal Buildings Act—aka the “Potty Parity” bill—is nothing to joke about. Too many U.S. government buildings lack sufficient bathroom facilities for women, says Cohen, causing delays for female employees and visitors that can lead to serious health repercussions. That’s why Cohen, who proposed similar legislation back in his home state of Tennessee during the 1990s, is supporting the new federal legislation.
“A lot of times people, when I dealt with this bill, called it ‘potty parity.’ They made jokes,” Cohen told Fox News. “The fact is, it’s not a joke … It’s the right thing to do and it’s catching up with the cultural lag in our society.”
Among the bill’s co-sponsors is conservative Republican Darrell Issa of California.
The bill would mandate that all federal building restrooms have 1-to-1 ratio for toilets, including urinals. Currently, women’s and men’s restrooms may have the same number of toilets, but urinals are not factored in.
The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee held a hearing on the bill on Wednesday. The committee’s chairman, Edolphus Towns (D-New York), introduced a similar bill in 2007, but it made no headway.
-Noel Brinkerhoff
Lawmakers Introduce "Potty Parity Act" (by Brian Montopoli, CBS News)
Potty Parity Act Introduced in Congress; Codes Continue to Address Issue (by Candace Roulo, Contractor Magazine)
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