REMARKS
Council Member Rita C. Joseph presents Intro 267 on public bathroom access
0:09:25
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125 sec
Council Member Rita C. Joseph presents her bill, Intro 267, which aims to improve public bathroom accessibility in New York City. The bill requires certain city facilities to make their bathrooms available for public use during business hours, with proper signage and information provided.
- The bill mandates DCAS to coordinate with other agencies to implement this policy.
- It requires signage indicating location, hours, and accessibility for persons with disabilities.
- The bill calls for implementation reports and updates to be submitted to various city officials and community boards.
- Joseph emphasizes that access to clean and safe bathrooms is a matter of equity, public health, and basic human rights.
Rita C. Joseph
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Good morning.
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Thank you, council member, the rest of the chair.
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Lincoln wrestler, and members of the council.
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I'm thrilled to present my bill, intro 267, which was introduced in partnership with my Manhattan borough president, Mark Levin.
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Intro 267 is one of my 4 bills aimed at addressing the bathroom accessibility issue in New York City.
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Due to this legislation, we are accessing the city to make certain bathrooms and city facilities available for public use.
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The bill requires a decast in coordination with other agency heads to allow public access to readily accessible bathrooms in public safing facing municipal buildings during business hours.
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It also mandates signage indicating location, hours, and accessibility of these bathrooms of persons with disabilities.
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Additionally, the bill calls for implementation report periodic update to the to be submitted to the council, mayor, public advocate, and community boards.
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The location of these bathroom will be posted on a city website listing all public bathrooms included in a city land use listed maintained by Decast.
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Access to clean and accessible bathrooms in New York City should not be a luxury.
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Too often residents and visitors have to lend to plead with business owners for bathroom access.
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Sometimes being forced to make unnecessary purchases just to use the facilities.
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For a homeless population finding clean, safe, and accessible bathroom, this is even a greater challenge.
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This bill will help address these injustices.
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By opening some city facility bathrooms to the public, we are showing New Yorkers and visitors that we care about their health and well-being.
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Access to clean and safe bathrooms is a matter of equity, public health, sanitation, and base basic human rights.
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As Manhattan board president Mark Levin has emphasized.
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By considering this bill today, chair, Lincoln, and committee members, you're doing your part.
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Let's get this past this past quickly.
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New Yorkers and visitors have been waiting too long.
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It's time to do the right thing.
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Thank you to all the advocates, my council colleagues who co sponsored this bill, and the staffers who worked diligently to make this to bring this to this stage.
0:11:29
Thank you so much.
