1 | 1 | | 1 of 2 |
---|
2 | 2 | | SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1171 FILED ON: 1/19/2023 |
---|
3 | 3 | | SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1381 |
---|
4 | 4 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
---|
5 | 5 | | _________________ |
---|
6 | 6 | | PRESENTED BY: |
---|
7 | 7 | | Patricia D. Jehlen |
---|
8 | 8 | | _________________ |
---|
9 | 9 | | To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General |
---|
10 | 10 | | Court assembled: |
---|
11 | 11 | | The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill: |
---|
12 | 12 | | An Act to increase access to disposable menstrual products. |
---|
13 | 13 | | _______________ |
---|
14 | 14 | | PETITION OF: |
---|
15 | 15 | | NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Patricia D. JehlenSecond MiddlesexRebecca L. RauschNorfolk, Worcester and Middlesex1/23/2023Jack Patrick Lewis7th Middlesex1/24/2023Angelo J. Puppolo, Jr.12th Hampden1/26/2023Thomas M. Stanley9th Middlesex1/26/2023Michael J. BarrettThird Middlesex1/26/2023Sal N. DiDomenicoMiddlesex and Suffolk1/30/2023Patrick M. O'ConnorFirst Plymouth and Norfolk1/31/2023Mark C. MontignySecond Bristol and Plymouth1/31/2023Kathleen R. LaNatra12th Plymouth2/1/2023Jacob R. OliveiraHampden, Hampshire and Worcester2/2/2023Vanna Howard17th Middlesex2/2/2023Brian M. Ashe2nd Hampden2/3/2023Manny Cruz7th Essex2/7/2023James K. Hawkins2nd Bristol2/8/2023Lydia EdwardsThird Suffolk2/13/2023John F. KeenanNorfolk and Plymouth2/14/2023James B. EldridgeMiddlesex and Worcester2/16/2023 2 of 2 |
---|
16 | 16 | | Adam GomezHampden2/23/2023Liz MirandaSecond Suffolk3/8/2023 1 of 3 |
---|
17 | 17 | | SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1171 FILED ON: 1/19/2023 |
---|
18 | 18 | | SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1381 |
---|
19 | 19 | | By Ms. Jehlen, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1381) of Patricia D. Jehlen, Rebecca |
---|
20 | 20 | | L. Rausch, Jack Patrick Lewis, Angelo J. Puppolo, Jr. and other members of the General Court |
---|
21 | 21 | | for legislation to increase access to disposable menstrual products. Public Health. |
---|
22 | 22 | | [SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION |
---|
23 | 23 | | SEE SENATE, NO. 2730 OF 2021-2022.] |
---|
24 | 24 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
---|
25 | 25 | | _______________ |
---|
26 | 26 | | In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court |
---|
27 | 27 | | (2023-2024) |
---|
28 | 28 | | _______________ |
---|
29 | 29 | | An Act to increase access to disposable menstrual products. |
---|
30 | 30 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority |
---|
31 | 31 | | of the same, as follows: |
---|
32 | 32 | | 1 SECTION 1. Chapter 23B of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the |
---|
33 | 33 | | 2following section:- |
---|
34 | 34 | | 3 Section 31. (a) As used in this section, the following words shall have the following |
---|
35 | 35 | | 4meanings unless the context clearly requires otherwise: |
---|
36 | 36 | | 5 “Disposable menstrual products”, products used by a menstruating individual including, |
---|
37 | 37 | | 6but not limited to, sanitary napkins, tampons and underwear liners. |
---|
38 | 38 | | 7 “Menstruating individual”, a person who menstruates. |
---|
39 | 39 | | 8 (b) Any provider of temporary housing assistance, including, but not be limited to, a |
---|
40 | 40 | | 9family shelter, a shelter for adults, a hotel used for emergency shelter, an emergency apartment, a 2 of 3 |
---|
41 | 41 | | 10domestic violence shelter, a runaway and homeless youth shelter or a safe house for refugees, |
---|
42 | 42 | | 11shall provide disposable menstrual products at no cost to a menstruating individual. The |
---|
43 | 43 | | 12disposable menstrual products shall be available in a convenient manner that does not stigmatize |
---|
44 | 44 | | 13the individual seeking such products. |
---|
45 | 45 | | 14 SECTION 2. Chapter 71 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after |
---|
46 | 46 | | 15section 3 the following section:- |
---|
47 | 47 | | 16 Section 3A. (a) As used in this section, the following words shall have the following |
---|
48 | 48 | | 17meanings unless the context clearly requires otherwise:- |
---|
49 | 49 | | 18 “Disposable menstrual products”, products used by a menstruating individual including, |
---|
50 | 50 | | 19but not limited to, sanitary napkins, tampons and underwear liners. |
---|
51 | 51 | | 20 “Menstruating individual”, a person who menstruates. |
---|
52 | 52 | | 21 (b) Every primary and secondary school shall provide disposable menstrual products at |
---|
53 | 53 | | 22no cost to students. The disposable menstrual products shall be available in a convenient manner |
---|
54 | 54 | | 23that does not stigmatize the individual seeking such products, including, but not limited to, in |
---|
55 | 55 | | 24restrooms for menstruating individuals. |
---|
56 | 56 | | 25 SECTION 3. Chapter 127 of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the |
---|
57 | 57 | | 26following section:- |
---|
58 | 58 | | 27 Section 170. (a) As used in this section, the following words shall have the following |
---|
59 | 59 | | 28meanings unless the context clearly requires otherwise: |
---|
60 | 60 | | 29 “Administrator”, the keeper of a lock-up facility under chapter 40, the superintendent of a |
---|
61 | 61 | | 30correctional facility under chapter 125, a sheriff or special sheriff in charge of a jail, house of 3 of 3 |
---|
62 | 62 | | 31correction or regional lock-up facility under chapter 126, the colonel of state police and any other |
---|
63 | 63 | | 32official who oversees a facility used for the detention of persons arrested and held in custody or |
---|
64 | 64 | | 33serving a sentence. |
---|
65 | 65 | | 34 “Disposable menstrual products”, products used by a menstruating individual including, |
---|
66 | 66 | | 35but not limited to, sanitary napkins, tampons and underwear liners. |
---|
67 | 67 | | 36 “Menstruating individual”, a person who menstruates. |
---|
68 | 68 | | 37 (b) The administrator shall provide disposable menstrual products to menstruating |
---|
69 | 69 | | 38individuals held or housed in the facility overseen by the administrator at no cost. The disposable |
---|
70 | 70 | | 39menstrual products shall be available in a convenient manner that does not stigmatize the |
---|
71 | 71 | | 40individual seeking such products. |
---|