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General Assembly Raised Bill No. 5272
February Session, 2022
LCO No. 1295
Referred to Committee on PUBLIC HEALTH
Introduced by:
(PH)
AN ACT CONCERNING MENSTRUAL PRODUCTS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 18-69e of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage): 2
Correctional staff at York Correctional Institution shall, upon request, 3
provide an inmate at the institution with [feminine hygiene] menstrual 4
products as soon as practicable. Correctional staff shall provide such 5
[feminine hygiene] menstrual products for free, [and] in a quantity that 6
is appropriate to the health care needs of the inmate and in a manner 7
that does not stigmatize any inmate seeking such products, pursuant to 8
guidelines established by the Commissioner of Public Health under 9
section 6 of this act. To carry out the provisions of this section, the 10
Department of Correction may (1) accept donations of menstrual 11
products and grants from any source for the purpose of purchasing such 12
products, and (2) partner with a nonprofit or community-based 13
organization. For purposes of this section, ["feminine hygiene 14
products"] "menstrual products" means tampons and sanitary napkins. 15 Raised Bill No. 5272
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Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective from passage) On and after July 1, 2022, each 16
local and regional board of education shall provide free menstrual 17
products, as defined in section 18-69e of the general statutes, as 18
amended by this act, in restrooms that are accessible to students in each 19
middle school and high school under the jurisdiction of such boards and 20
in a manner that does not stigmatize any student seeking such products, 21
pursuant to guidelines established by the Commissioner of Public 22
Health under section 6 of this act. To carry out the provisions of this 23
section, the local and regional boards of education may (1) accept 24
donations of menstrual products and grants from any source for the 25
purpose of purchasing such products, and (2) partner with a nonprofit 26
or community-based organization. 27
Sec. 3. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2022) Each public institution of higher 28
education, as defined in section 10a-173 of the general statutes, shall 29
provide free menstrual products, as defined in section 18-69e of the 30
general statutes, as amended by this act, in no fewer than one designated 31
and accessible central location on each campus of the institution and in 32
a manner that does not stigmatize any student seeking such products, 33
pursuant to guidelines established by the Department of Public Health 34
under section 6 of this act. Each public institution of higher education 35
shall post notice of such location on its Internet web site. To carry out 36
the provisions of this section, each public institution of higher education 37
may (1) accept donations of menstrual products and grants from any 38
source for the purpose of purchasing such products, and (2) partner 39
with a nonprofit or community-based organization. 40
Sec. 4. Section 8-359a of the general statutes is repealed and the 41
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2022): 42
(a) The Commissioner of Housing may, upon application of any 43
public or private organization or agency, make grants, within available 44
appropriations, to develop and maintain programs for homeless 45
individuals including programs for emergency shelter services, 46
transitional housing services, on-site social services for available 47
permanent housing and for the prevention of homelessness. 48 Raised Bill No. 5272
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(b) Each shelter receiving a grant pursuant to this section (1) shall 49
provide decent, safe and sanitary shelter for residents of the shelter, 50
including, but not limited to, through the provision of free menstrual 51
products, as defined in section 18-69e, as amended by this act, in each 52
restroom of such shelter that is accessible to its residents and in a 53
manner that does not stigmatize any resident seeking such products, 54
pursuant to guidelines established by the Commissioner of Public 55
Health under section 6 of this act; (2) shall not suspend or expel a 56
resident without good cause; (3) shall, in the case of a resident who is 57
listed on the registry of sexual offenders maintained pursuant to chapter 58
969, provide verification of such person's residence at the shelter to a 59
law enforcement officer upon the request of such officer; and (4) shall 60
provide a grievance procedure by which residents can obtain review of 61
grievances, including grievances concerning suspension or expulsion 62
from the shelter. No shelter serving homeless families may admit a 63
person who is listed on the registry of sexual offenders maintained 64
pursuant to chapter 969. The Commissioner of Housing shall adopt 65
regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, 66
establishing (A) minimum standards for shelter grievance procedures 67
and rules concerning the suspension and expulsion of shelter residents, 68
and (B) standards for the review and approval of the operating policies 69
of shelters receiving a grant under this section. Shelter operating policies 70
shall establish a procedure for the release of information concerning a 71
resident who is listed on the registry of sexual offenders maintained 72
pursuant to chapter 969 to a law enforcement officer in accordance with 73
this subsection. To carry out the provisions of subdivision (1) of this 74
subsection, each shelter may (i) accept donations of menstrual products 75
and grants from any source for the purpose of purchasing such 76
products, and (ii) partner with a nonprofit or community-based 77
organization. 78
Sec. 5. Subdivision (122) of section 12-412 of the 2022 supplement to 79
the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 80
thereof (Effective from passage): 81
(122) Sales of [feminine hygiene] menstrual products. 82 Raised Bill No. 5272
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Sec. 6. (NEW) (Effective from passage) On or before July 1, 2022, the 83
Commissioner of Public Health shall establish guidelines regarding the 84
manner in which menstrual products may be provided pursuant to 85
section 18-69e of the general statutes, as amended by this act, sections 2 86
and 3 of this act and section 8-359a of the general statutes, as amended 87
by this act, without stigmatizing the person who requests such products. 88
The commissioner shall post such guidelines on the Department of 89
Public Health's Internet web site. 90
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 from passage 18-69e
Sec. 2 from passage New section
Sec. 3 July 1, 2022 New section
Sec. 4 July 1, 2022 8-359a
Sec. 5 from passage 12-412(122)
Sec. 6 from passage New section
Statement of Purpose:
To require the provision of free menstrual products in various settings.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
underlined.]