NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
 
BILL NUMBER: A290
SPONSOR: Rosenthal L
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the public health law, in relation to providing feminine
hygiene products in charter schools
 
PURPOSE:
This bill requires feminine hygiene products to be offered for free in
charter schools.
 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section one adds a new section 267 to the public health law.
Section two establishes the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
The 2018-19 New York State budget included a provision requiring that
all public schools provide feminine hygiene products free of charge in
public schools, for students in grades 6-12. This was a groundbreaking
step, showing New York State recognizes that menstruation should never
bar a student from academic or extracurricular opportunities. Unfortu-
nately, this budget provision did not extend to charter schools. Every
of-age student in New York State must have free access to feminine
hygiene products.
This legislation adds charter schools to the requirement that elementary
and secondary public schools serving grades six through twelve shall
provide feminine hygiene products in the restrooms of their school
building free of charge. It is critical that menstruation, a natural
biological function, does not serve as a barrier to opportunity for any
students of menstruating age in New York State.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2017-18: A.10601 - Reported to Ways and Means
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
Undetermined.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect July 1, 2019.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
290
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY(Prefiled)
January 9, 2019
___________
Introduced by M. of A. L. ROSENTHAL -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Health
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to providing feminine
hygiene products in charter schools
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 267 of the public health law, as added by section 1
2 of part Q of chapter 56 of the laws of 2018, is amended to read as
3 follows:
4 § 267. Feminine hygiene products in schools. All elementary and
5 secondary public schools and charter schools in the state serving
6 students in any grade from grade six through grade twelve shall provide
7 feminine hygiene products in the restrooms of such school building or
8 buildings. Such products shall be provided at no charge to students.
9 § 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2019.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02158-01-9