Simon, Gallagher, Glick, Shimsky, Reyes, Cruz, Levenberg, Walker, Taylor, Raga, De Los Santos,
Weprin, Lavine, Otis
MLTSPNSR
Add §148, Pub Bldg L
Provides access to menstrual products in toilet facilities in public buildings owned or leased by the state that are determined to be opened to the public; requires reporting.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A1740A
SPONSOR: Rosenthal TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the public buildings law, in relation to providing
access to menstrual products in toilet facilities in certain public
buildings
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
This legislation will require menstrual products to be provided free of
charge in the restrooms of any state government-owned or -operated
building.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section one amends public buildings law by adding a new section 148.
Section two establishes the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
Menstruation is a basic, biological function that more than half the
population experiences each month for approximately 40 years. Many
people who menstruate have reported missing days of work or school or
being late as a result of unexpected menstruation or an inability to
access menstrual products. Under previous laws to advance menstrual
equity, New York State enacted requirements for schools, correctional
facilities, and temporary shelters in New York State to provide free
menstrual products. Extending this requirement to all state government-
owned and operated buildings will provide even greater access to people
in need.
In 2022, Washington D.C. passed a law with unanimous support requiring
free products in District-owned and -operated public buildings, Ann
Arbor, Michigan also unanimously passed a law in 2021 requiring all
public restrooms in the city to carry menstrual products. Each city to
enact such a law further reinforces that menstrual products are just as
essential as soap and toilet paper and that it is common sense to have
them in all public restrooms. As the leading state in the movement for
menstrual equity, New York State should begin providing products in all
government buildings
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2023-24: A.4071 - Advanced to Third Reading; S.9184 - Referred to
Women's Issues
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
Undetermined
EFFECTIVE DATE:
One year.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
1740--A
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 14, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. ROSENTHAL, SIMON, GALLAGHER, GLICK, SHIMSKY,
REYES, CRUZ, LEVENBERG, WALKER, TAYLOR, RAGA, DE LOS SANTOS, WEPRIN,
LAVINE -- read once and referred to the Committee on Governmental
Operations -- reported and referred to the Committee on Ways and Means
-- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended
and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the public buildings law, in relation to providing
access to menstrual products in toilet facilities in certain public
buildings
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The public buildings law is amended by adding a new section
2 148 to read as follows:
3 § 148. Access to menstrual products in toilet facilities. 1. Menstrual
4 products shall be provided at no cost, including, but not limited to,
5 sanitary napkins, tampons and panty liners in all female-designated and
6 gender-neutral washrooms and toilet facilities in every covered public
7 building.
8 2. Two years after the effective date of this section the commissioner
9 of general services shall report to the governor and both houses of the
10 legislature the following information including but not limited to:
11 i. the number of toilet facilities this section applies to;
12 ii. the cost of implementing the requirements of this section;
13 iii. the number of toilet facilities that required renovation to
14 implement the requirements of this section;
15 iv. the total number of menstrual products purchased by the state, in
16 relation to the implementation of this section, in the prior year; and
17 v. the total cost to the state to implement the requirements of this
18 section.
19 3. For the purposes of this section "covered public building" shall
20 mean a public building owned or leased by the state of New York, under
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04458-05-5
A. 1740--A 2
1 the supervision and control of the commissioner of general services,
2 that is determined by such commissioner to be open to the public.
3 § 2. This act shall take effect one year after it shall have become a
4 law.
