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Bathroom Legislation Reintroduced
On March 31st Representatives Troy E. Nehls (R-TX) and Chrissy Houlahan (D-PE) reintroduced the Trucker Bathroom Access Act to the 119th congress session. The legislation will allow truckers access to a bathroom at shipping and receiving facilities. This bill was first introduced at the end of the 117th and the 118th congress session on June 6, 2024 and did not go anywhere.
This legislation does not require that facilities have to build new bathrooms for truckers. This would mandate that locations provide the same access to bathrooms as employee’s have.
Comments from the Representatives on the current bill reintroduced.
Congressman Nehls said, “Our nation’s hardworking truckers keep our country moving and should have access to bathroom facilities while they are on the road—it’s common sense. I’m proud to join my colleague, Congresswoman Houlahan, in reintroducing legislation to ensure that truck drivers have access to the restroom at work.”
Houlahan said, "Truck drivers are the backbone of our economy, but inhospitable working conditions have caused challenges with recruitment and retention. As female drivers are increasingly filling essential trucking positions, they face a lack of restroom access while making deliveries and pickups. I’m proud to reintroduce this bipartisan legislation to ensure every truck driver is guaranteed access to a restroom while they do their critical jobs, breaking down a systemic barrier that has kept women out of the industry. Truck drivers are essential for our economy and should not have less access to restroom facilities than other employees in their own workplaces."
Comments from the Representatives on prior bills.
From Representative Nehls press release: “I am proud to reintroduce legislation that supports our nation’s truckers. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, facilities across the country have shut down their bathrooms which have caused essential employees, like our truckers, not to have access to use the restroom at work. Truckers are this nation’s backbone, and we owe them for the tireless contributions they continue to make to keep our country moving." Representative Nehls said.
“Our economy depends on truck drivers, but we face perpetual challenges with recruitment and retention. One unique and unnecessary challenge these drivers face is lack of restroom access at delivery points while on the road. This is especially difficult for female drivers, which are a growing demographic of truckers who helped power our economic recovery from the pandemic. There’s no reason truckers shouldn’t have the same rights that other employees experience in their own workplaces.” Representative Houlahan said.
The bill is supported by:
- Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA)
- Women in Trucking (WIT)
- American Trucking Association (ATA)
Comment from those organizations in the past were:
“Over 70% of America’s freight is exclusively carried by trucks, yet every single day men and women truck drivers are forced to ‘hold it’ because they aren’t allowed access to the restroom when picking up or delivering freight,” said Todd Spencer, President and CEO of OOIDA. “OOIDA and our 150,000 members thank Representatives Nehls and Houlahan for showing tremendous leadership on this issue, and we look forward to working with them and our coalition partners to get this commonsense, bipartisan legislation signed into law.”
“As more women enter the trucking industry, the need for restroom access increases while access to facilities has decreased. We applaud Reps. Nehls and Houlahan’s support to require shippers and receivers to offer our drivers this very basic need,” said Ellen Voie, Founder of the Women In Trucking Association.
“Truck drivers are the heartbeat of our economy and critical to supply chain continuity,” said Chris Spear, President and CEO of ATA. “When they stop to make pickups or deliveries — which can take hours on end while the truck waits to be loaded or unloaded — drivers should have access to restroom facilities. Such basic accommodations are more than just common courtesy; This is about ensuring the dignity of drivers and supporting the men and women who do the heavy lifting to provide for everyone in this country. It can also help reduce a major barrier to retaining and recruiting more truck drivers, particularly women, at a time when they are desperately needed. ATA appreciates the leadership of Representatives Nehls and Houlahan in addressing this challenge faced by professional truck drivers, and we look forward to working with them to ensure that drivers’ most basic needs are met while they do the important work of delivering the nation’s goods."
Current comments from them are:
OOIDA:
“Over 70% of America’s freight is exclusively carried by trucks, yet every single day men and women truck drivers are forced to ‘hold it’ because they aren’t allowed access to the restroom when picking up or delivering freight,” said OOIDA President Todd Spencer. “OOIDA and our 150,000 members thank Representatives Nehls and Houlahan for showing tremendous leadership on this issue and we look forward to working with them and our coalition partners to get this commonsense, bipartisan legislation signed into law.”
WIT:
"Grateful for the leadership of Representatives Nehls and Houlahan in recognizing this basic necessity for drivers." Jennifer Hedrick, president and CEO of WIT added, "Changes like these encourage more women to enter the trucking profession and boost the safety, security, and efficiency of our supply chain.”
To follow the Trucker Bathroom Access Act: Trucker Bathroom Access Act
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