Free Tampons In New Jersey Schools? Proposed Law Moves Forward

NEW JERSEY — A proposed state law that would require New Jersey public schools to offer free menstrual products such as tampons in their bathrooms recently took another step forward.

Last week, the state Assembly’s education committee unanimously voted to advance A-1349. If it becomes law, the bill would require schools teaching grades six through 12 to provide feminine hygiene products free of charge.

Under the bill, menstrual products would have to be available in at least 50 percent of female and gender-neutral bathrooms. Any costs incurred by the school district would be covered by the state.

The law would take effect the first full school year after its signing. It now heads to the Assembly Appropriations Committee for further review. Read the full text here.

A companion bill, S-1221, is currently working its way through the state Senate.

Nationwide, the average woman spends about $20 on feminine hygiene products per cycle, adding up to about $18,000 over her lifetime, according to the National Organization of Women.

When the bill was first introduced last year, the Office of Legislative Services (OLS) estimated that it would lead to a $4.7 million to $13 million increase in state expenditures in the first full school year following enactment and a $2.7 million to $11 million increase in state expenditures in each subsequent year. The expenditures would first be incurred by school districts and then reimbursed by the state.

Based on data from the 2020-2021 school year, under the bill, approximately 1,383 schools across the state would be required to provide free feminine hygiene products in all school bathrooms. Total enrollment of students in grades 6 through 12 in these schools approximated 724,800, the OLS states.

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