S 5924: Requires certain buildings display domestic violence signs developed by the office for the prevention of domestic violence in their bathrooms.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 5924 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE March 4, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. CLEARE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Social Services AN ACT to amend the executive law, the general business law, the public authorities law, and the public buildings law, in relation to requir- ing certain buildings display domestic violence signs in their bath- rooms The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Domestic 2 Violence Bathroom Signage Act". 3 § 2. Paragraph (p) of subdivision 3 of section 575 of the executive 4 law, as relettered by chapter 740 of the laws of 2022, is relettered 5 paragraph (q) and a new paragraph (p) is added to read as follows: 6 (p) Developing domestic violence signage and enforcing the display of 7 such signage under sections two hundred six-g and three hundred ninety-f 8 of the general business law, three hundred eighty-nine-a of the public 9 authorities law, and one hundred forty-eight of the public buildings 10 law. 11 (i) Such signage shall: 12 (A) include information regarding services and assistance available to 13 victims of domestic violence. 14 (B) be in English, Spanish, and any other language determined appro- 15 priate by the director of the office. 16 (ii) The office shall create a mechanism for people to register a 17 complaint which may initiate an investigation by the office. 18 (iii) The office, while a building is undergoing otherwise mandated 19 inspections, may inspect for compliance with domestic violence signage 20 requirements. 21 (iv) The director of the office shall inform the entity of any discov- 22 ered failure to comply with domestic violence signage requirements. The 23 entity shall cure the violation or demonstrate to the director that the EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD04142-01-5 
 S. 5924 2 1 finding of non-compliance was incorrect. If the entity is found to be in 2 non-compliance, the department shall provide the entity signage and 3 resource materials. 4 § 3. The general business law is amended by adding a new section 206-g 5 to read as follows: 6 § 206-g. Information concerning services for domestic violence 7 victims. 1. For purposes of this section, "lodging facility" shall mean 8 any inn, hotel, motel, motor court or other establishment that provides 9 lodging to transient guests. Such term shall not include an establish- 10 ment treated as a dwelling unit for the purposes of any state or local 11 law or regulation or an establishment located within a building that has 12 five or less rooms for rent or hire and that is actually occupied as a 13 residence by the proprietor of such establishment. 14 2. Every keeper of a lodging facility shall make available in plain 15 view and in a conspicuous place and manner in the public restrooms, and 16 in the individual guest rooms, and near the public entrance or in anoth- 17 er conspicuous location in clear view of the public and the employees 18 where similar information is customarily displayed in such lodging 19 facility, informational signage developed by the office for the 20 prevention of domestic violence. Such informational signage shall be 21 placed on the bottom right corner of the restroom mirror or, if no 22 mirror larger than forty-eight inches by thirty inches is in the rest- 23 room, on the back of the restroom door at approximately five feet above 24 the floor. 25 § 4. The general business law is amended by adding a new section 390-f 26 to read as follows: 27 § 390-f. Information concerning services for domestic violence 28 victims. 1. Every entity which maintains a public restroom shall 29 display in plain view and in a conspicuous place and manner in such 30 public restrooms informational signage created by the office for the 31 prevention of domestic violence under section five hundred seventy-five 32 of the executive law. 33 2. Every entity which maintains a restroom for its patrons shall 34 display in plain view and in a conspicuous place and manner in such 35 restrooms informational signage created by the office for the prevention 36 of domestic violence under section five hundred seventy-five of the 37 executive law. 38 § 5. The public authorities law is amended by adding a new section 39 389-a to read as follows: 40 § 389-a. Information concerning services for domestic violence victims 41 in facilities at service areas. 1. Any service area maintained or oper- 42 ated by the authority shall display in plain view and in a conspicuous 43 place and manner in the public restrooms and in any lactation rooms, 44 informational signage developed by the office for the prevention of 45 domestic violence under section five hundred seventy-five of the execu- 46 tive law. 47 2. For purposes of this section, "lactation room" shall mean a hygien- 48 ic place, other than a restroom, that: (a) is shielded from view; (b) is 49 free from intrusion; (c) contains a chair, a working surface, and, if 50 the building is otherwise supplied with electricity, an electrical 51 outlet; and (d) is intended to be used for the primary purpose of 52 breastfeeding or expressing breast milk. 53 § 6. The public buildings law is amended by adding a new section 148 54 to read as follows: 55 § 148. Information concerning services for domestic violence victims 56 in public buildings. 1. As used in this section: 
 S. 5924 3 1 (a) "covered public building" means a public building owned by the 2 state of New York, under the supervision and control of the commissioner 3 of general services, that is determined by said commissioner to be open 4 to the public; and 5 (b) "lactation room" means a hygienic place, other than a bathroom, 6 that: 7 (i) is shielded from view; 8 (ii) is free from intrusion; 9 (iii) contains a chair, a working surface, and, if the public building 10 is otherwise supplied with electricity, an electrical outlet; and 11 (iv) is intended to be used for the primary purpose of breastfeeding 12 or expressing breast milk. 13 2. A covered public building shall display in plain view and in a 14 conspicuous place and manner in the public restrooms and in any lacta- 15 tion rooms informational signage developed by the office for the 16 prevention of domestic violence under section five hundred seventy-five 17 of the executive law. 18 § 7. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after 19 it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amend- 20 ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen- 21 tation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and 22 completed on or before such effective date.