Requires public institutions of higher education to provide menstrual products in all campus buildings; appropriates $85,000 from General Fund to Office of Secretary of Higher Education.

A2185

ASSEMBLY, No. 2185

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman SHANIQUE SPEIGHT

District 29 (Essex and Hudson)

Assemblywoman LINDA S. CARTER

District 22 (Somerset and Union)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblywomen Reynolds-Jackson, Haider and Assemblyman
Rodriguez

SYNOPSIS

���� Requires public institutions of higher education to
provide menstrual products in all campus buildings; appropriates $85,000 from
General Fund to Office of Secretary of Higher Education.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative
Counsel.

��

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.