Men’s Toilets Get Baby Changing Stations
President Barack Obama has signed a new law making baby changing stations available in men’s bathrooms.
Male toilets in public buildings in the United States must now have baby changing facilities.
According to the new law, both male and female bathrooms should have a “physically safe, sanitary and appropriate” place to change a diaper.
Known as the Bathrooms Accessible in Every Situation (BABIES) Act, it was first raised back in April by Congressman David N. Cicilline.
“Federal buildings are paid for by taxpayers,” he says.
“It’s important to ensure that they are as open, as accessible, and as family-friendly as possible.”
The BABIES Act only affects bathrooms in government-owned or government-financed buildings like courthouses and public libraries.
But it is a first step toward reducing the indignity that parents frequently face when trying to care for their babies in bathroom stalls. US federal law previously did not require changing tables anywhere.
The BABIES Act makes public places “more accommodating for working moms and dads” across the United States.