\"Ally\'s Law\" - IBD Restroom Access Act
Every State in the Union should Adopt and Pass "Ally's Law" into Legislation - Allowing Those Suffering from IBD Access to Non-Public Restrooms in Emergent Situations
There are over 1.4 Million people currently suffering from Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) in the United States but only 13 states that allow them access to non-public restrooms in emergent situations (Illinois, Minnesota, Texas, Kentucky, Tennessee, Colorado, Ohio, Michigan, Washington, Oregon, Wisconsin, Connecticut and Massachusetts). We need all States in the Union to Adopt and Pass "Ally's Law" into Legislation which will allow people suffering from IBD access to non-public accessible restrooms (i.e. employee restrooms) in the event of emergent situations.
Suffering from IBD and making a request to use a non-pubic restroom at a retail outlet; Ally Bain was denied that access. This denial caused in an immediate/involuntary evacuation of her bowls along with public humiliation. Ally to her cause to the Illinois State Legislature and successfully advocated to have the follow restroom act passed in 2005:
State of Illinois Public Act 094-0450 HB0834 Enrolled LRB094 07984 RXD 38166 b
AN ACT concerning public health, which may be referred to as Ally's Law. Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:
Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Restroom Access Act.
Section 5. Definitions. In this Act: "Customer" means an individual who is lawfully on the premises of a retail establishment. "Eligible medical condition" means Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, any other inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, or any other medical condition that requires immediate access to a toilet facility.
"Retail establishment" means a place of business open to the general public for the sale of goods or services. "Retail establishment" does not include a filling station or service station, with a structure of 800 square feet or less, that has an employee toilet facility located within that structure.
Section 10. Retail establishment; customer access to restroom facilities. A retail establishment that has a toilet facility for its employees shall allow a customer to use that facility during normal business hours if the toilet facility is reasonably safe and all of the following conditions are met:(1) The customer requesting the use of the employee toilet facility suffers from an eligible medical condition or utilizes an ostomy device. (2) Three or more employees of the retail establishment are working at the time the customer requests use of the employee toilet facility.
(3) The retail establishment does not normally make a restroom available to the public. (4) The employee toilet facility is not located in an area where providing access would create an obvious health or safety risk to the customer or an obvious security risk to the retail establishment. (5) A public restroom is not immediately accessible to the customer.
(Source and Section Selections Obtained from: http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/publicacts/fulltext.asp?Name=094-0450)
Suffering from IBD and making a request to use a non-pubic restroom at a retail outlet; Ally Bain was denied that access. This denial caused in an immediate/involuntary evacuation of her bowls along with public humiliation. Ally to her cause to the Illinois State Legislature and successfully advocated to have the follow restroom act passed in 2005:
State of Illinois Public Act 094-0450 HB0834 Enrolled LRB094 07984 RXD 38166 b
AN ACT concerning public health, which may be referred to as Ally's Law. Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:
Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Restroom Access Act.
Section 5. Definitions. In this Act: "Customer" means an individual who is lawfully on the premises of a retail establishment. "Eligible medical condition" means Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, any other inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, or any other medical condition that requires immediate access to a toilet facility.
"Retail establishment" means a place of business open to the general public for the sale of goods or services. "Retail establishment" does not include a filling station or service station, with a structure of 800 square feet or less, that has an employee toilet facility located within that structure.
Section 10. Retail establishment; customer access to restroom facilities. A retail establishment that has a toilet facility for its employees shall allow a customer to use that facility during normal business hours if the toilet facility is reasonably safe and all of the following conditions are met:(1) The customer requesting the use of the employee toilet facility suffers from an eligible medical condition or utilizes an ostomy device. (2) Three or more employees of the retail establishment are working at the time the customer requests use of the employee toilet facility.
(3) The retail establishment does not normally make a restroom available to the public. (4) The employee toilet facility is not located in an area where providing access would create an obvious health or safety risk to the customer or an obvious security risk to the retail establishment. (5) A public restroom is not immediately accessible to the customer.
(Source and Section Selections Obtained from: http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/publicacts/fulltext.asp?Name=094-0450)
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