Sen. Nilsa Cruz-Perez wants more toilet stalls equipped with grab bars when public restrooms are built or substantially renovated, expanding accessibility beyond the minimum stalls required today.
TRENTON, N.J. — New Jersey could require substantially more toilet stalls in public buildings to be equipped with grab bars under a newly introduced bill aimed at making restrooms easier and safer to use for seniors, people with disabilities and others who need physical support.
Senate Bill 4550, introduced Monday by Sen. Nilsa Cruz-Perez, D-Camden, would establish minimum numbers of grab-bar-equipped stalls based on the overall size of a public restroom.
The legislation would apply when a new restroom is constructed or when an existing restroom undergoes a substantial renovation costing more than $5,000.
The Bill Goes Beyond Today’s Accessible Stall Requirements
New Jersey already requires accessible restroom facilities under its Barrier Free Subcode.
Under the state’s current construction standards, at least one of each type of restroom fixture must generally satisfy accessibility requirements during covered rehabilitation work. In restrooms with six or more toilet stalls, an additional ambulatory-accessible stall is required.
The federal Americans with Disabilities Act follows a similar structure. The 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design require accessible toilet compartments to contain grab bars and, in larger restrooms, require an additional ambulatory-accessible compartment.
S4550 would go further by requiring grab bars in multiple stalls rather than concentrating them primarily in designated accessible stalls.
A Four-Stall Restroom Would Need Grab Bars in Two Stalls
Under the proposal, a public restroom with three or four toilet stalls would need grab bars in at least two of them.
A restroom containing five to nine stalls would need at least three equipped stalls.
For restrooms with 10 to 15 stalls, at least six would need grab bars.
Once a restroom reaches 16 stalls, at least one-third would have to include grab bars.
Each equipped stall would also have to display the International Symbol of Access.
Why Require Grab Bars in More Than One Stall?
The practical issue is that the need for physical support in a restroom is much broader than the population using wheelchairs.
People who walk with canes or walkers, older residents with balance problems, people recovering from surgery and those with temporary mobility limitations may be capable of using a standard-size stall but still benefit from a stable handhold when sitting down or standing up.
Current accessibility rules account for some of that need through ambulatory-accessible stalls, but larger public restrooms can still have relatively few stalls with grab bars compared with the total number available.
Cruz-Perez’s proposal would change that ratio.
A 12-stall public restroom, for example, would need grab bars in six stalls under S4550 — half the restroom.
Falls Are a Major Concern for Older Adults
There is a public-health basis for increasing access to grab bars.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention specifically recommends grab bars next to toilets as one way older adults can reduce fall risks.
CDC research has also found that bathrooms can be particularly hazardous as people age. A national study of emergency department visits found that most bathroom injuries examined were caused by falls, with injury rates increasing sharply among older adults.
About 14% of the bathroom injuries studied were associated with sitting down on, standing up from or using a toilet. Among adults 65 and older, that proportion was considerably higher.
The CDC concluded that grab bars next to toilets could provide additional support, particularly for people experiencing balance problems, dizziness or sudden changes in blood pressure when standing.
The Bill Would Not Force Every Existing Restroom to Be Rebuilt
S4550 is not an immediate retrofit mandate for every government restroom in New Jersey.
The new requirements would be enforced when a restroom is newly constructed or undergoes what the bill defines as a “substantial renovation.”
That threshold is a project requiring a building permit where the value of the restroom renovation exceeds $5,000.
A public building with an older restroom that is left untouched would therefore not automatically be required to begin installing grab bars throughout its stalls solely because the legislation took effect.
Installation Would Still Have to Meet State Construction Standards
The proposal would not allow buildings to simply bolt any type of handle onto a stall wall.
Grab bars would have to comply with New Jersey’s Barrier Free Subcode, which incorporates detailed accessibility standards governing placement, height, dimensions and structural requirements.
The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs’ current construction code uses the state Barrier Free Subcode along with ICC A117.1 accessibility standards for covered construction.
That is important because an improperly positioned or inadequately supported grab bar may provide little benefit and could itself create a safety problem.
Cruz-Perez Has Tried Before
The proposal is not new.
Cruz-Perez introduced substantially the same legislation during earlier legislative sessions, including S136 in 2024 and S2102 in 2022.
The 2024 version of the legislation contained essentially the same restroom-size thresholds and $5,000 substantial-renovation trigger.
Those earlier efforts did not become law.
S4550 revives the proposal in the new 2026-27 legislative session.
What Problem Would S4550 Actually Solve?
The bill addresses a gap between minimum accessibility compliance and broader day-to-day usability.
Existing rules ensure that public restrooms contain designated facilities for people with disabilities.
S4550 asks a different question: Why should grab bars be limited to only one or two designated stalls when many people who do not require a full wheelchair-accessible compartment still need help sitting, standing or maintaining balance?
The legislation would make physical support available in a much larger share of public restroom stalls without requiring every stall to be converted into a larger ADA-accessible compartment.
For a growing older population, as well as residents living with mobility limitations that do not necessarily require a wheelchair, that could mean a better chance of finding an available stall they can safely use.
