Crohn's & Colitis Foundation Applauds Passage of Restroom Access Legislation in New York State

NEW YORK, NY – The Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation released the following statement today after the New York State Senate passed the Crohn’s & Colitis Fairness Act (S3295):
 
“Today’s vote is the culmination of years of work by patients, caregivers, and volunteers in New York State, and we couldn’t be happier with the outcome,” said Michael Osso, President & CEO of the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation. “Patients living with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis often deal with debilitating urgency – where it’s an issue of getting to a bathroom immediately or risking having an accident. Passage of this bill will provide peace of mind to patients when leaving their homes. We thank Senator Kemp Hannon and Assemblywoman Amy Paulin for their leadership on this issue and their hard work to ensure that 2017 is the year restroom access becomes a reality in New York.”
 
The New York State Assembly passed the Crohn’s & Colitis Fairness Act earlier this year. This bill will enable persons with certain medical conditions, including Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and those with ostomies, access to employee-only restrooms when a public one is unavailable and it is safe for both the patient and establishment to do so. Senate passage of S3295 makes New York the 17th state to pass restroom access legislation nationwide. The bill will now be sent to Governor Andrew Cuomo to be signed into law.

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