ESHB 1138 -
By Committee on Judiciary
ADOPTED 04/14/2009
Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the following:
"NEW SECTION. Sec. 1 A new section is added to chapter 70.54 RCW
to read as follows:
(1) A retail establishment that has a restroom facility for its
employees must allow a customer to use that facility during normal
business hours if the customer requesting the use of the employee
restroom facility has been diagnosed with an eligible medical condition
or uses an ostomy device, and provides evidence of the existence of the
eligible medical condition or device in writing in the form of either:
(a) A signed statement by the customer's health care provider that
shall be on a form that has been prepared by the department of health
under subsection (2) of this section; or
(b) An identification card that is issued by a nonprofit
organization whose purpose includes serving individuals who suffer from
an eligible medical condition or use an ostomy device.
(2) The department of health shall develop a standard electronic
form that may be signed by a health care provider as evidence of the
existence of an eligible medical condition or use of an ostomy device
as required by subsection (1) of this section. The form shall include
a brief description of a customer's rights under this section and shall
be made available for a customer or his or her health care provider to
access by computer. Nothing in this section requires the department to
distribute printed versions of the form.
(3) Use of a fraudulent form as evidence of the existence of an
eligible medical condition or use of an ostomy device is a misdemeanor
punishable under RCW 9A.20.010.
(4) A retail establishment that has a restroom facility for its
employees must allow a customer to use that facility during normal
business hours if all of the following conditions are met:
(a) Three or more employees of the retail establishment are working
at the time the customer requests use of the employee restroom
facility;
(b) The retail establishment does not normally make a restroom
available to the public;
(c) The restroom facility itself is reasonably safe and is not
located in an area where providing access would create an obvious
health or safety risk to the customer; and
(d) Allowing the customer to access the restroom facility does not
pose a security risk to the retail establishment or its employees.
(5) For a first violation of this section, the city or county
attorney shall issue a warning letter to the retail establishment and
employee informing the establishment and employee of the requirements
of this section. A retail establishment or an employee of a retail
establishment that violates this section after receiving a warning
letter is guilty of a civil infraction. The fine for a first
infraction must not exceed one hundred dollars.
(6) A retail establishment is not required to make any physical
changes to an employee restroom facility under this section and may
require that an employee accompany the customer to the employee
restroom facility.
(7) A retail establishment or an employee of a retail establishment
is not civilly liable for any act or omission in allowing a customer to
use an employee restroom facility that is not a public restroom if the
act or omission meets all of the following:
(a) It is not willful or grossly negligent;
(b) It occurs in an area of the retail establishment that is not
accessible to the public; and
(c) It results in an injury to or death of the customer or any
individual other than an employee accompanying the customer.
(8) For purposes of this section:
(a) "Customer" means an individual who is lawfully on the premises
of a retail establishment.
(b) "Eligible medical condition" means Crohn's disease, ulcerative
colitis, any other inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel
syndrome, or any other permanent or temporary medical condition that
requires immediate access to a restroom facility.
(c) "Health care provider" means an advanced registered nurse
practitioner licensed under chapter 18.79 RCW, an osteopathic physician
or surgeon licensed under chapter 18.57 RCW, an osteopathic physicians
assistant licensed under chapter 18.57A RCW, a physician or surgeon
licensed under chapter 18.71 RCW, or a physician assistant licensed
under chapter 18.71A RCW.
(d) "Retail establishment" means a place of business open to the
general public for the sale of goods or services. Retail establishment
does not include any structure such as a filling station, service
station, or restaurant of eight hundred square feet or less that has an
employee restroom facility located within that structure."
ESHB 1138 -
By Committee on Judiciary
ADOPTED 04/14/2009
On page 1, line 2 of the title, after "establishment;" strike the remainder of the title and insert "adding a new section to chapter 70.54 RCW; and prescribing penalties."