H.R. 2514 — Trucker Bathroom Access Act

This section establishes a requirement that covered establishments—defined as businesses open to the public for sales of goods or services, or shippers, receivers, manufacturers, warehouses, distribution centers, or other entities receiving or sending goods by commercial motor vehicle (excluding structures of 800 square feet or less such as filling stations, service stations, or restaurants with employee-only restrooms)—grant covered drivers access to any covered restroom facility when the driver is delivering goods or cargo or waiting to be loaded. A covered driver is a commercial motor vehicle operator subject to the Secretary of Transportation's authority over qualifications and maximum hours of service under 49 U.S.C. §31502 (i.e., interstate truck drivers), and a covered restroom facility is one on the establishment's premises intended for customers or employees in an area posing no obvious health or safety risk to the driver or security risk to the establishment. The section specifies that no physical changes to restrooms are required.

This section requires terminal operators (i.e., entities operating marine terminals for loading and unloading cargo from vessels, including port authorities directly operating such terminals) to provide a sufficient number of covered restrooms (i.e., restrooms or portable toilets in areas posing no obvious health or safety risk) for covered drayage truck operators (i.e., drivers of on-road trucks greater than 33,000 pounds gross vehicle weight rating transporting cargo through ports or intermodal rail yards). To comply, terminal operators must (1) provide access to existing restrooms while operators are on port property if no obvious safety risk exists, (2) add restrooms if necessary at locations of greatest need, and (3) offer parking for vehicles while operators access restrooms.