00                            HOUSE BILL NO. 141                                                                          
01 "An Act relating to universal changing facilities in public buildings."                                                 
02 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                                
03    * Section 1. AS 18.35 is amended by adding a new section to read:                                                  
04 Sec. 18.35.150. Universal changing facilities in public buildings. (a) On or                                          
05 after the effective date of this Act, a public building in which a bathroom is                                          
06 constructed, or that undergoes a remodel of the building estimated to cost $30,000 or                                   
07       more, must contain                                                                                                
08                 (1)  at least one publicly available bathroom with a universal changing                                 
09            facility; or                                                                                                 
10                 (2)  if the bathrooms in the building are divided by gender, at least one                               
11            men's bathroom and one women's bathroom that are equipped with universal                                     
12            changing facilities.                                                                                         
13            (b)  A public building is exempt from the requirements of (a) of this section if                             
14       installation of a universal changing facility                                                                     
15                 (1)  is not practicable; or                                                                             

01                 (2)  would cause the bathroom to be out of compliance with applicable                                   
02       building standards governing the right of access for individuals with disabilities.                               
03            (c)  The owner or lessee of a building shall report the location of a universal                              
04       changing table to the department when one is installed.                                                           
05            (d)  The department shall maintain on the department's publicly available                                    
06       Internet website a list containing the location of each universal changing facility                               
07       reported under this section.                                                                                      
08            (e)  The department shall adopt regulations establishing standards for a                                     
09       universal changing facility required under this section.                                                          
10            (f)  In a civil action for violation of this section, a court may award a prevailing                         
11       plaintiff injunctive and declaratory relief, actual damages, and attorney fees and costs.                         
12            (g)  In this section,                                                                                        
13                 (1)  "department" means the Department of Transportation and Public                                     
14       Facilities;                                                                                                       
15                 (2)  "public building" means a building owned or controlled and held                                    
16       by the state or political subdivision of the state for government or public use or a                              
17       public transportation facility that is supported by public funds;                                                 
18                 (3)  "universal changing facility" means a table or other device suitable                               
19       for changing the diaper of a child and providing personal care for an adult.