SB 500 - AS INTRODUCED
2026 SESSION
26-2066
09/05
SENATE BILL 500
AN ACT relative to restroom access for certain commercial motor vehicle operators.
SPONSORS: Sen. Birdsell, Dist 19; Sen. Ricciardi, Dist 9; Sen. Fenton, Dist 10; Rep. Hill, Merr. 2; Rep. T. Walsh, Merr. 10; Rep. Labrie, Hills. 2; Rep. Leishman, Hills. 33
COMMITTEE: Transportation
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ANALYSIS
This bill requires that certain commercial drivers and drayage truck operators be provided with restroom access under defined circumstances.
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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
26-2066
09/05
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty-Six
AN ACT relative to restroom access for certain commercial motor vehicle operators.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 New Subdivision; Restroom Access for Drivers. Amend RSA 155 by inserting after section 82 the following new subdivision:
Restroom Access for Drivers
155:82-a Restroom Access for Covered Drivers.
I. As used in this section:
(a) "Covered driver" means any commercial driver as defined in RSA 259:12.
(b) "Covered establishment" means a place of business open to the general public for the sale of goods or services; or a shipper, receiver, manufacturer, warehouse, distribution center, or any other business entity that is receiving or sending goods by commercial motor vehicle. "Covered establishment" does not include any structure such as a filling station, service station, or restaurant of 800 square feet or less that has a restroom located within such structure that is only intended for use by employees.
(c) "Covered restroom facility" means a restroom located on the premises of a covered establishment that is intended for use by customers or employees of the establishment and that is located in an area where providing access would not create an obvious health or safety risk to a covered driver and would not pose an obvious security risk to the covered establishment.
II. A covered driver shall be granted access to any covered restroom facility at any covered establishment to which such employee delivers any goods or cargo or is waiting to be loaded to transport goods or cargo.
III. Nothing in this section shall be construed to require a covered establishment to make any physical changes to a restroom to be in compliance with this section.
155:82-b Restroom Access for Covered Drayage Truck Drivers.
I. In this section:
(a) “Covered drayage truck operator” means the driver of any in-use on-road vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of greater than 33,000 pounds operating on or transgressing through port or intermodal rail yard property for the purpose of loading, unloading, or transporting cargo, including containerized, bulk, or break-bulk goods.
(b) “Covered restroom” means a restroom or portable chemical toilet that is located in an area that does not pose an obvious health or safety risk to a covered drayage truck operator.
(c) “Terminal operator" means the business entity operating a marine terminal for loading and unloading cargo to and from marine vessels, and includes the port authority if the port is directly operating the marine terminal in loading and unloading cargo to and from marine vessels.
II. A terminal operator shall provide a sufficient number of covered restrooms for use by covered drayage truck operators in areas of the terminal that such operators typically have access to, by providing:
(a) Access to existing restrooms while covered drayage truck operators are on port property and when such access does not pose an obvious safety risk to such truck operators and other employees of the terminal operator in the area;
(b) Additional restrooms, if necessary, at locations where there is the most need; and
(c) A place for covered drayage truck operators to park vehicles while accessing such restrooms.
2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.
| Date | Body | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Jan. 13, 2026 | Senate | Hearing |
| Senate | Floor Vote |
Jan. 29, 2026: Ought to Pass: MA, VV; OT3rdg; 01/29/2026; SJ 2
Jan. 15, 2026: Committee Report: Ought to Pass, 01/29/2026; Vote 4-0; CC; SC 3
Dec. 9, 2025: Hearing: 01/13/2026, Room 122-123, SH, 01:15 pm; SC 46
Nov. 21, 2025: Introduced 01/07/2026 and Referred to Transportation; SJ 1