NEW YORK — The New York City Council passed a bill Tuesday that will require all single-occupant bathrooms be gender neutral.
The legislation, sponsored by Councilman Daniel Dromm, passed 47-2 and Mayor Bill de Blasio is expected to sign it.
"Most New Yorker’s take their unfettered access to bathrooms for granted," said NYC Council Member Daniel Dromm (D-Jackson Heights, Elmhurst) in a statement. "Yet, every single day, transgender and gender-nonconforming individuals must grapple with the fact that their choices may lead to harassment or worse."
The bill, which is set to go into effect Jan. 1, 2017, will require establishments to remove gender-specific signage from single occupant bathrooms and indicate they may be used by all sexes.
Every building in the city that has a single-occupant bathroom that’s publicly accessible — such as offices, restaurants and bars — will be affected, though it is not clear exactly how many establishments that is, an official with the City Council told DNAinfo New York.
Larger, multiple stall single-sex bathrooms will not be affected by the new bill.
De Blasio has not commented on the bill, but a spokeswoman for the mayor's office, Monica Klein, highlighted to DNAinfo that the mayor has worked to strengthen protections against gender identity and expression discrimination.
"Every New Yorker deserves to feel safe and protected in our city, including having equal access to bathrooms," Klein said.
In March, de Blasio signed an executive order to allow people in city-run buildings to use the bathroom of the gender with which they identify.