BOSTON — A new Beacon Hill bill would clear the way for gender-neutral bathrooms in every Massachusetts school, gym, and locker room — and it just cleared committee.

The Senate version is sponsored by Sen. Joanne Comerford of Northampton, with co-sponsor Sen. Rebecca Rausch of Needham. The House version is sponsored by Rep. Mindy Domb of Amherst and Rep. Samantha Montano of Boston.

The bill's operative language directs that the Uniform State Plumbing Code "shall include regulations that allow gender-neutral toilet and bathing facilities, including toilet and bathing facilities that contain more than 1 toilet, urinal or shower separated by privacy walls or partitions, with separate or grouped handwashing fixtures, to be designated or installed in any use group defined in the state building code, regardless of whether the work being performed is new construction or repair, renovation or alteration work."

The phrase "any use group defined in the state building code" sweeps in public schools, private schools, gyms, locker rooms, restaurants, bars, hotels, offices, hospitals, churches, dormitories, and any other category of building covered by Massachusetts construction code.

The bill does not require any school or building to install gender-neutral bathrooms. It removes the existing plumbing-board variance — the layer of regulatory review and approval currently required — so that any building owner who wants to convert single-sex bathrooms to multi-stall gender-neutral facilities, or build new ones, can do so without seeking permission.

The Senate version cleared the Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight on February 9, 2026, and has been referred to the Senate Committee on Ways and Means.

A hearing on the bill was held September 3, 2025.

If both chambers pass the bill and Gov. Maura Healey signs it, multi-stall gender-neutral bathrooms could begin appearing in Massachusetts schools, gyms, and locker rooms as quickly as plumbing-code regulations could be updated.