New Jersey-2022-A4528-Introduced

An Act concerning the provision of menstrual hygiene products in certain libraries and supplementing chapter 74 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. The Legislature finds and declares:

a. According to BMC Women's Health, "period poverty" is a lack of access to menstrual products, education, and hygiene facilities that affects 500 million people worldwide and an estimated 16.9 million people in the United States.

b. People who experience period poverty are unable to purchase the menstrual hygiene products they need and, in many cases, this means that they cannot go to school or work or otherwise fully participate in daily life.

c. Period poverty causes physical, mental, and emotional challenges. It can make people feel shame for menstruating, and the stigma surrounding periods prevents individuals from talking about it.

d. A recent study involving college-aged individuals who menstruate reported that 14.2 percent had experienced period poverty in the past year, and an additional 10 percent experienced it every month.

e. Research has found that almost two-thirds of women who menstruate in the Unites States with a low income could not afford menstrual hygiene products in the last year, while nearly half of these women sometimes had to choose between buying food or menstrual hygiene products.

2. a. As used in this act, "menstrual hygiene products" mean tampons and sanitary napkins for use in connection with the menstrual cycle.

b. A municipality or county that supports, in whole or in part, library service from municipal or county tax sources pursuant to chapter 33 or 54 of Title 40 of the Revised Statutes, and in which 40 percent or more of its residents reside in households with a household income at or below the most recent federal poverty guidelines multiplied by 1.85, shall ensure that each library in the municipality or county:

(1) provides direct access to menstrual hygiene products in each women's restroom and each all-gender restroom free of charge; and

(2) provides and prominently displays educational pamphlets addressing topics including, but not limited to, toxic shock syndrome, menstrual disorders, and the proper disposal of menstrual hygiene products, in each women's restroom and each all-gender restroom.

c. Any costs incurred by a library in providing an adequate supply of menstrual hygiene products to meet the needs of its patrons pursuant to this section shall be borne by the State.

3. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This bill requires certain libraries to provide free menstrual hygiene products in its restrooms. Under the bill, a municipality or county that supports, in whole or in part, library service from municipal or county tax sources, and in which 40 percent or more of its residents reside in households with a household income at or below the most recent federal poverty guidelines multiplied by 1.85, is required to ensure that each library in the municipality or county:

� provides direct access to menstrual hygiene products in each women's restroom and each all-gender restroom free of charge; and

� provides and prominently displays educational pamphlets addressing topics including, but not limited to, toxic shock syndrome, menstrual disorders, and the proper disposal of menstrual hygiene products, in each women's restroom and each all-gender restroom.

Under the bill, any costs incurred by a library in providing an adequate supply of menstrual hygiene products to meet the needs of its patrons will be borne by the State.

Period poverty is a lack of access to menstrual products, education, and hygiene facilities that affects 500 million people worldwide and an estimated 16.9 million people in the United States. People who experience period poverty are unable to purchase the menstrual hygiene products they need and, in many cases, this means that they cannot go to school or work or otherwise fully participate in daily life.