SENATE COMMUNITY AND URBAN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 2183

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  FEBRUARY 15, 2024

      The Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee reports favorably with committee amendments Senate Bill No. 2183.

      As amended, this bill requires baby diaper changing stations in any newly constructed men or women's public restroom maintained on any publicly accessible floor of a group A or M occupancy within the State.  The bill requires any group A or M occupancy, as defined in the bill, to install changing stations during renovations to existing restrooms, costing $5,000 or more.  Further, the owner or operator of a group A or M occupancy is required to post signage to direct visitors to baby diaper changing station-equipped restrooms, when newly constructed or renovated.

      The bill requires that public buildings containing group A or M occupancies install baby diaper changing tables in each accessible floor of each group A or M occupancy on or before the first day of the 37th month following enactment.  If, however, the public building is a K-12 school, the bill only requires one changing table accessible to men and women per campus within the 37-month deadline.  A county, municipality, or board of education is permitted to apply to the Department of Community Affairs (department) for a reimbursement of the expense of installation.  The bill establishes a nonlapsing fund in the department to reimburse certain applicants for this expense, which may be credited with monies made available to the department for the purposes of the fund.

      Failure to comply with the provisions of this bill would result in liability to a penalty of not more than $500 for each violation.

      This bill was pre-filed for introduction in the 2024-2025 session pending technical review.  As reported, the bill includes the changes required by technical review, which has been performed.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amended the bill to remove a $500,000 appropriation, revise the title and synopsis to reflect the changes to the bill, specify that the nonlapsing fund created by the bill may be credited with monies made available to DCA for the purposes of the fund, and make certain technical changes.