Lawmakers Introduce "Potty Parity Act"

Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-NY), the chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, has introduced a bipartisan bill called the Restroom Gender Parity in Federal Buildings Act -- aka the "Potty Parity Act."

The legislation is designed "to provide equal access to public restrooms for men and women" in federal buildings, according to a Towns release. It would require a one-to-one ratio for all toilets in women's and men's restrooms -- including urinals.

"Due to biological and social distinctions, women often need to allow for more time than men in restrooms, and limited restrooms impose undue hardship on women, especially those who are pregnant or suffer from other medical conditions," the release says.

Towns, who has introduced such legislation in the past, said "exasperating lines" at women's restrooms are "an inconvenience seen in almost every type of public building." He argued that the problem was rooted in part in the fact that many public buildings were constructed at a time when women were less likely to work outside the home.

"Our nation's history shows that the structure and accessibility of American public restrooms have served as manifestations of more deeply rooted problems of discrimination, among race, physical ability and gender," he said.

California Rep. Darrell Issa, the ranking republican on the committee, is a co-sponsor on the bill. It would also mandate that preference in federal leasing be given to buildings that meet the one-to-one ratio threshold.