Connecticut 2022 2022 Regular Session

Connecticut House Bill HB05272 Comm Sub / Bill

Filed 04/25/2022

                     
 
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General Assembly  Substitute Bill No. 5272  
February Session, 2022 
 
 
 
 
 
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 Section 18-69e of the general statutes is repealed and the 1 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 July 1, 2022): 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, on and after 7 
September 1, 2022, in a manner that does not stigmatize any inmate 8 
seeking such products, pursuant to guidelines established by the 9 
Commissioner of Public Health under section 7 of this act. To carry out 10 
the provisions of this section, the Department of Correction may (1) 11 
accept donations of menstrual products and grants from any source for 12 
the purpose of purchasing such products, and (2) partner with a 13 
nonprofit or community-based organization. For purposes of this 14 
section, ["feminine hygiene products"] "menstrual products" means 15 
tampons and sanitary napkins. 16 
Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2022) On and after September 1, 2022, 17 
each local and regional board of education shall provide free menstrual 18  Substitute Bill No. 5272 
 
 
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products, as defined in section 18-69e of the general statutes, as 19 
amended by this act, in restrooms that are accessible to students in each 20 
school under the jurisdiction of such boards and in a manner that does 21 
not stigmatize any student seeking such products, pursuant to 22 
guidelines established by the Commissioner of Public Health under 23 
section 7 of this act. To carry out the provisions of this section, the local 24 
and regional boards of education may (1) accept donations of menstrual 25 
products and grants from any source for the purpose of purchasing such 26 
products, and (2) partner with a nonprofit or community-based 27 
organization. 28 
Sec. 3. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2022) On and after September 1, 2022, 29 
each public institution of higher education, as defined in section 10a-173 30 
of the general statutes, shall provide free menstrual products, as defined 31 
in section 18-69e of the general statutes, as amended by this act, in no 32 
fewer than one designated and accessible central location on each 33 
campus of the institution and in a manner that does not stigmatize any 34 
student seeking such products, pursuant to guidelines established by 35 
the Department of Public Health under section 7 of this act. Each public 36 
institution of higher education shall post notice of such location on its 37 
Internet web site. To carry out the provisions of this section, each public 38 
institution of higher education may (1) accept donations of menstrual 39 
products and grants from any source for the purpose of purchasing such 40 
products, and (2) partner with a nonprofit or community-based 41 
organization. 42 
Sec. 4. Section 8-359a of the general statutes is repealed and the 43 
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2022): 44 
(a) The Commissioner of Housing may, upon application of any 45 
public or private organization or agency, make grants, within available 46 
appropriations, to develop and maintain programs for homeless 47 
individuals including programs for emergency shelter services, 48 
transitional housing services, on-site social services for available 49 
permanent housing and for the prevention of homelessness. 50  Substitute Bill No. 5272 
 
 
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(b) Each shelter receiving a grant pursuant to this section (1) shall 51 
provide decent, safe and sanitary shelter for residents of the shelter, 52 
including, but not limited to, through the provision, on and after 53 
September 1, 2022, of free menstrual products, as defined in section 18-54 
69e, as amended by this act, in each restroom of such shelter that is 55 
accessible to its residents and in a manner that does not stigmatize any 56 
resident seeking such products, pursuant to guidelines established by 57 
the Commissioner of Public Health under section 7 of this act; (2) shall 58 
not suspend or expel a resident without good cause; (3) shall, in the case 59 
of a resident who is listed on the registry of sexual offenders maintained 60 
pursuant to chapter 969, provide verification of such person's residence 61 
at the shelter to a law enforcement officer upon the request of such 62 
officer; and (4) shall provide a grievance procedure by which residents 63 
can obtain review of grievances, including grievances concerning 64 
suspension or expulsion from the shelter. No shelter serving homeless 65 
families may admit a person who is listed on the registry of sexual 66 
offenders maintained pursuant to chapter 969. The Commissioner of 67 
Housing shall adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of 68 
chapter 54, establishing (A) minimum standards for shelter grievance 69 
procedures and rules concerning the suspension and expulsion of 70 
shelter residents, and (B) standards for the review and approval of the 71 
operating policies of shelters receiving a grant under this section. Shelter 72 
operating policies shall establish a procedure for the release of 73 
information concerning a resident who is listed on the registry of sexual 74 
offenders maintained pursuant to chapter 969 to a law enforcement 75 
officer in accordance with this subsection. To carry out the provisions of 76 
subdivision (1) of this subsection, each shelter may (i) accept donations 77 
of menstrual products and grants from any source for the purpose of 78 
purchasing such products, and (ii) partner with a nonprofit or 79 
community-based organization. 80 
Sec. 5. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2022) On and after September 1, 2022, 81 
each emergency shelter operated by a domestic violence agency, as 82 
defined in section 52-146k of the general statutes, shall provide free 83 
menstrual products, as defined in section 18-69e of the general statutes, 84  Substitute Bill No. 5272 
 
 
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as amended by this act, in each restroom of the shelter that is accessible 85 
to its residents and in a manner that does not stigmatize any resident 86 
seeking such products, pursuant to guidelines established by the 87 
Commissioner of Public Health under section 7 of this act. To carry out 88 
the provisions of this section, each shelter may (1) accept donations of 89 
menstrual products and grants from any source for the purpose of 90 
purchasing such products, and (2) partner with a nonprofit or 91 
community-based organization. 92 
Sec. 6. Subdivision (122) of section 12-412 of the 2022 supplement to 93 
the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 94 
thereof (Effective from passage): 95 
(122) Sales of [feminine hygiene] menstrual products. 96 
Sec. 7. (NEW) (Effective from passage) On or before July 1, 2022, the 97 
Commissioner of Public Health shall establish guidelines regarding the 98 
manner in which menstrual products may be provided pursuant to 99 
section 8-359a of the general statutes, as amended by this act, section 18-100 
69e of the general statutes, as amended by this act, and sections 2, 3 and 101 
5 of this act, without stigmatizing the person who requests such 102 
products. The commissioner shall post such guidelines on the 103 
Department of Public Health's Internet web site. 104 
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following 
sections: 
 
Section 1 July 1, 2022 18-69e 
Sec. 2 July 1, 2022 New section 
Sec. 3 July 1, 2022 New section 
Sec. 4 July 1, 2022 8-359a 
Sec. 5 July 1, 2022 New section 
Sec. 6 from passage 12-412(122) 
Sec. 7 from passage New section 
 
PH Joint Favorable Subst.   Substitute Bill No. 5272 
 
 
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APP Joint Favorable