New bill requires diaper changing stations in restaurant bathrooms
Feb 6, 2019, 4:41 PM
Photo by Shelbey Miller on Unsplash
Changing a baby’s diaper in the booth of a restaurant or your car parked out front is no walk in the park, so Washington is considering a law which would require new restaurants to have diaper changing stations in restrooms.
The bill was passed by the House Consumer Protection and Business Committee on Tuesday, and stipulates that new restaurants incorporate diaper changing stations in both men’s and women’s restrooms. It’s sponsored by Democratic Rep. Kristine Reeves of Federal Way, and supported by the Washington Hospitality Association.
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Not all new restaurants would be required to accommodate the law, only those that have an occupancy greater than 60 and offer a kid’s menu, so hot dog stands and food trucks are probably exempt.
“This isn’t necessarily about being a woman or being a parent, this is about health and safety,” Reeves told The Spokesman-Review. “It’s about the health and safety of our children … it’s about the health and safety of people who frequent restaurants.”
The bill passed with a 9-to-3 vote in the House. There has been no word yet on what babies think of it.
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