Pennsylvania may soon follow the lead of Washington State and pass a state law requiring that truck drivers have access to restrooms when picking up or dropping off a shipment.

Introduced to the Pennsylvania House by Representative by Rep. Jason Silvis (R) on April 19, the Truck Driver Restroom Access Act (House Bill 2465) would require retail establishments, shippers, receivers, and terminal operators to provide truck drivers access to indoor or portable toilets during regular business hours in the Keystone State.

If the bill is passed, those enumerated who fail to provide such access would be issued a written violation for a first offense and a $300 fine for each subsequent offense. The bill is currently awaiting review in the House Transportation Committee.

Joining Silvis in sponsoring the bill were 10 Republican and 2 Democratic legislators.

Similar legislation was passed by the Washington Legislature earlier this year and signed into law by Gov. Jay Inslee (D) and takes effect on June 9.

Noting that he holds a commercial driver’s license, Sivis said in a statement that he understands “the skill and long hours required as a CDL driver. Even before COVID, access to restrooms was a problem for these drivers who cannot easily park at a gas station due to the size of their vehicles.

“In addition, many times they are forced to wait in their trucks for hours for their turn to unload or be reloaded. Access to bathroom facilities is a sanitary issue that needs to be addressed,” he said.