After hours of debate, Colorado House approves requirement for diaper-changing stations in public restrooms

The Colorado House on March 9 approved House Bill 11-30, which requires buildings with restrooms accessible to the public to provide baby diaper-changing stations, after a lengthy floor debate and multiple amendments that centered on cost, exemptions and enforcement.

Representative Story, sponsor of the bill, said the measure closes a gap in accessibility and dignity for caregivers who need a safe, sanitary place to change infants while out in public. Sponsors and supporters highlighted examples of businesses that voluntarily added changing stations after constituent requests and framed the bill as creating a statewide baseline of access.

Opponents warned the bill amounts to an unfunded mandate on small businesses. Representative Bradley and others repeatedly raised concerns about retrofit costs, potential asbestos or tile work, and the places’ architectural limitations in older, small buildings. Several members offered and debated floor amendments to limit the bill’s reach for small establishments, to cap mandated installation costs at a specified threshold, to make compliance permissive rather than mandatory, and to shift potential liability to the state for mandated equipment. Those amendments were each considered and either adopted or rejected in separate roll-call dividers.

Key votes and floor actions included:
- Amendment debates on cost caps and installation exceptions. One proposed cost cap tied to testimony from the state architect was rejected after a recorded division; an earlier small-business exemption proposal and other technical amendments were also debated and dispositioned on the floor.
- Amendment L015 (implementation timing) and other technical clarifications were adopted during the sequence of votes.

Supporters argued that flexible implementation language and exemptions for places such as historic buildings and small occupancy businesses, plus a multi-year implementation timeline, addressed practical concerns while ensuring a baseline of access by 01/01/2028. Opponents said the bill’s mandate—without a state-funded implementation or enforcement plan—would place disproportionate cost burdens on small and rural businesses and could create sanitation and liability issues if tables are misused.

After motions, divisions and several minutes-long colloquy, the House adopted HB11-30 as amended. The bill includes exemptions and an implementation timeline; appropriations or detailed enforcement mechanisms were not included in the floor-passed version. Sponsors said they would work with stakeholders on final technical fixes in the coming days.

Next steps: HB11-30 proceeds according to the legislative calendar for any remaining stages required for enactment.