Relates to providing feminine hygiene products at no cost to individuals in correctional facilities and to any other individual in a punitive custodial setting.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A588B
SPONSOR: Rosenthal L TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the correction law, in relation to providing feminine
hygiene products at no cost to individuals in correctional facilities
PURPOSE:
This bill will provide feminine hygiene products at no cost to individ-
uals housed in state and local correctional facilities.
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section one amends the correction law by adding a new section 625.
Section two sets forth the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
In correctional facilities across New York State, incarcerated women are
given an insufficient monthly supply of feminine hygiene products or are
required to purchase such products from the prison commissary. The cost
of feminine hygiene products can be high, forcing many inmates to go
without or use their own makeshift hygiene products. Not only is this
unsanitary, but it also creates an underground market for feminine
hygiene products with the prison walls.
At the Taconic State Correctional Facility, for example, one tampon
costs 24 cents. The average female inmate makes approximately 17 cents
per hour. Thus, female inmates must spend their week's earnings to
purchase a 20-count box of tampons, which still may be insufficient for
women whose periods last up to seven days or have heavy flows.
Feminine hygiene products are not a luxury, but a necessity, and incar-
cerated women must be provided with access to feminine hygiene products.
This bill would correct the current injustice within New York State
correctional facilities by providing feminine hygiene products at no
cost for inmates.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
This is a new bill.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
Undetermined.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall become
law.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
588--B
Cal. No. 46
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 9, 2017
___________
Introduced by M. of A. L. ROSENTHAL, LUPARDO, JENNE, PHEFFER AMATO,
PEOPLES-STOKES, SEAWRIGHT, JAFFEE, SIMON, DE LA ROSA, ARROYO, SIMOTAS,
JEAN-PIERRE, LIFTON, WRIGHT, TITUS, RICHARDSON, NIOU, WILLIAMS, HOOP-
ER, JOYNER, HUNTER, DAVILA, GUNTHER, GLICK, SOLAGES, HYNDMAN, BLAKE,
CARROLL, M. G. MILLER, BRINDISI, CRESPO, PAULIN, RIVERA, COLTON, GOTT-
FRIED, WALKER, WEPRIN, AUBRY, STECK, QUART, ORTIZ -- Multi-Sponsored
by -- M. of A. COOK, DICKENS, EPSTEIN, GALEF, WALLACE, WEINSTEIN,
WOERNER -- read once and referred to the Committee on Correction --
committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and
recommitted to said committee -- advanced to a third reading, passed
by Assembly and delivered to the Senate, recalled from the Senate,
vote reconsidered, bill amended, ordered reprinted, retaining its
place on the order of third reading
AN ACT to amend the correction law, in relation to providing feminine
hygiene products at no cost to individuals in correctional facilities
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The correction law is amended by adding a new section 625
2 to read as follows:
3 § 625. Feminine hygiene products. Feminine hygiene products, includ-
4 ing, but not limited to, sanitary napkins, tampons and panty liners,
5 shall be provided at no cost to individuals housed in state and local
6 correctional facilities used for the general confinement of female
7 inmates and in any other state or local facility where women are
8 detained or confined by law enforcement agencies.
9 § 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
10 have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01789-08-8
