Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman SHANIQUE SPEIGHT
District 29 (Essex)
Assemblywoman MILA M. JASEY
District 27 (Essex and Morris)
Assemblywoman LINDA S. CARTER
District 22 (Middlesex, Somerset and Union)
Assemblyman REGINALD W. ATKINS
District 20 (Union)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblywomen Reynolds-Jackson, Haider and McKnight
SYNOPSIS
Requires public institutions of higher education to provide menstrual products in all campus buildings; appropriates $85,000 from the General Fund to Office of Secretary of Higher Education.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning the provision of menstrual products in public institutions of higher education and supplementing Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes and making an appropriation.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. As used in this section:
“Menstrual products” means tampons and sanitary napkins for use in connection with the menstrual cycle.
b. A public institution of higher education shall ensure that students and staff have direct access to menstrual products, free of charge, in all public women’s restrooms and public all-gender restrooms, and in at least one public men’s restroom in all campus buildings, including, but not limited to:
(1) lecture halls;
(2) residence halls;
(3) dining halls;
(4) libraries;
(5) student centers;
(6) athletics buildings; and
(7) administrative buildings.
c. In implementing the provisions of subsection b. of this section, public institutions of higher education shall supply a variety of menstrual products to address the individualized needs of students and staff, and such products shall include, but not be limited to:
(1) tampons and sanitary napkins graded regular through super-plus;
(2) sanitary napkins ranging from ultra-thin to overnight; and
(3) allergy-friendly tampons and sanitary napkins, such as chlorine-free, hypoallergenic, and fragrance-free products.
d. An institution shall install menstrual product dispensers in all public women’s restrooms and public all-gender restrooms, and in at least one public men’s room. Institutions will not be required to replace any existing dispensers, as long as menstrual products in the dispensers may be accessed by students and staff free of charge. The institution may contract with a vendor who will regularly maintain dispensers and stock them with menstrual products.
e. Institutions shall provide educational pamphlets addressing toxic shock syndrome, menstrual disorders, and proper disposal of tampons and sanitary napkins in all public women’s restrooms and public all-gender restrooms, and in at least one public men’s restroom in all campus buildings. Institutions shall also display, when feasible, posters next to dispensers highlighting proper menstrual hygiene.
f. Any costs incurred by an institution in providing an adequate supply of menstrual products to meet the needs of its students and staff shall be borne by the State. At the close of the fiscal year, institutions shall submit expenditures with supporting documentation for reimbursement.
2. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education the sum of $85,000 for the purposes of fulfilling the provisions of this act. The Office of the Secretary of Higher Education may submit a request for additional funds if the costs required to satisfy the provisions of this act exceed the amount herein appropriated.
3. This act shall take effect immediately and shall first apply to the first full academic year following the date of enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill requires public institutions of higher education to ensure that students and staff have direct access to menstrual products, free of charge, in all public women’s restrooms and public all-gender restrooms, and in at least one public men’s restroom in all campus buildings, including, but not limited to, lecture halls, residence halls, dining halls, libraries, student centers, athletics buildings, and administrative buildings. For purposes of this bill, “menstrual products” mean tampons and sanitary napkins for use in connection with the menstrual cycle.
Under the bill, public institutions of higher education are required to supply students and staff with a variety of menstrual products, including tampons and sanitary napkins graded regular through super-plus, sanitary napkins ranging from ultra-thin to overnight, and tampons and sanitary napkins that are allergy-friendly, including chlorine-free, hypoallergenic, and fragrance-free menstrual products.
Also under the bill, institutions will be required to install menstrual product dispensers in all public women’s restrooms and public all-gender restrooms, and in at least one public men’s restroom in all campus buildings. Institutions will not be required to replace any existing dispensers, as long as menstrual products in the dispensers may be accessed by students and staff free of charge. Institutions may contract with a vendor who will regularly maintain and stock dispensers. The bill also requires that institutions provide educational pamphlets addressing a variety of topics, including the symptoms of toxic shock syndrome and of menstrual disorders, as well as the proper disposal of tampons and sanitary napkins. Institutions will also be required, when feasible, to display posters highlighting proper menstrual hygiene.
This bill appropriates $85,000 to the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education for the provision of menstrual products and educational pamphlets in public institutions of higher education. Any costs incurred by an institution in complying with the provisions of this bill will be borne by the State. At the close of the fiscal year, institutions shall submit expenditures with supporting documentation for reimbursement.