HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1783        FILED ON: 1/18/2023

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 534

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Jay D. Livingstone and Christine P. Barber

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act to increase access to disposable menstrual products.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Jay D. Livingstone

8th Suffolk

1/18/2023

Christine P. Barber

34th Middlesex

1/18/2023

Mindy Domb

3rd Hampshire

1/18/2023

Lindsay N. Sabadosa

1st Hampshire

1/19/2023

Patricia D. Jehlen

Second Middlesex

1/20/2023

Jack Patrick Lewis

7th Middlesex

1/23/2023

Danielle W. Gregoire

4th Middlesex

1/24/2023

Tram T. Nguyen

18th Essex

1/24/2023

Natalie M. Higgins

4th Worcester

1/25/2023

Steven Ultrino

33rd Middlesex

1/25/2023

Steven Owens

29th Middlesex

1/25/2023

Angelo J. Puppolo, Jr.

12th Hampden

1/26/2023

Jeffrey N. Roy

10th Norfolk

1/26/2023

Thomas M. Stanley

9th Middlesex

1/26/2023

Joanne M. Comerford

Hampshire, Franklin and Worcester

1/27/2023

Jessica Ann Giannino

16th Suffolk

1/27/2023

James K. Hawkins

2nd Bristol

1/27/2023

Carmine Lawrence Gentile

13th Middlesex

1/28/2023

Brian W. Murray

10th Worcester

1/29/2023

David Henry Argosky LeBoeuf

17th Worcester

1/30/2023

Patrick M. O'Connor

First Plymouth and Norfolk

1/31/2023

Vanna Howard

17th Middlesex

2/1/2023

Jennifer Balinsky Armini

8th Essex

2/5/2023

Michelle M. DuBois

10th Plymouth

2/7/2023

Andres X. Vargas

3rd Essex

2/8/2023

Samantha Montaño

15th Suffolk

2/8/2023

Josh S. Cutler

6th Plymouth

2/8/2023

Tricia Farley-Bouvier

2nd Berkshire

2/8/2023

Adrian C. Madaro

1st Suffolk

2/13/2023

Erika Uyterhoeven

27th Middlesex

2/22/2023

Kate Lipper-Garabedian

32nd Middlesex

2/22/2023

Manny Cruz

7th Essex

2/23/2023

Rebecca L. Rausch

Norfolk, Worcester and Middlesex

3/7/2023

Mark C. Montigny

Second Bristol and Plymouth

3/20/2023

Michelle L. Ciccolo

15th Middlesex

3/21/2023

Smitty Pignatelli

3rd Berkshire

3/27/2023

Carole A. Fiola

6th Bristol

3/29/2023

Tommy Vitolo

15th Norfolk

3/30/2023

Ruth B. Balser

12th Middlesex

3/30/2023

Dawne Shand

1st Essex

3/30/2023

James C. Arena-DeRosa

8th Middlesex

4/3/2023

Natalie M. Blais

1st Franklin

4/3/2023

Simon Cataldo

14th Middlesex

4/5/2023

Margaret R. Scarsdale

1st Middlesex

4/4/2023

Rodney M. Elliott

16th Middlesex

4/12/2023

Tackey Chan

2nd Norfolk

4/20/2023

Ryan M. Hamilton

15th Essex

4/25/2023

David M. Rogers

24th Middlesex

4/27/2023

Christopher Richard Flanagan

1st Barnstable

5/10/2023

Adrianne Pusateri Ramos

14th Essex

5/25/2023

John J. Cronin

Worcester and Middlesex

5/31/2023

James B. Eldridge

Middlesex and Worcester

5/31/2023

David Allen Robertson

19th Middlesex

5/31/2023

David T. Vieira

3rd Barnstable

6/10/2023

Kristin E. Kassner

2nd Essex

6/7/2023

Mike Connolly

26th Middlesex

6/12/2023

Edward R. Philips

8th Norfolk

6/28/2023

Estela A. Reyes

4th Essex

6/28/2023

Susannah M. Whipps

2nd Franklin

6/30/2023

Dylan A. Fernandes

Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket

6/30/2023

Michael P. Kushmerek

3rd Worcester

7/3/2023

Hannah Kane

11th Worcester

7/12/2023

Joan B. Lovely

Second Essex

7/20/2023

David Paul Linsky

5th Middlesex

9/22/2023


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1783        FILED ON: 1/18/2023

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 534

By Representatives Livingstone of Boston and Barber of Somerville, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 534) of Jay D. Livingstone, Christine P. Barber and others for legislation to increase access to disposable menstrual products.  Education.

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)

_______________

 

An Act to increase access to disposable menstrual products.

 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. Chapter 23B of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following section:-

Section 31. (a) As used in this section, the following words shall have the following meanings unless the context clearly requires otherwise:

“Disposable menstrual products”, products used by a menstruating individual including, but not limited to, sanitary napkins, tampons and underwear liners.

“Menstruating individual”, a person who menstruates.       

(b) Any provider of temporary housing assistance, including, but not be limited to, a family shelter, a shelter for adults, a hotel used for emergency shelter, an emergency apartment, a domestic violence shelter, a runaway and homeless youth shelter or a safe house for refugees, shall provide disposable menstrual products at no cost to a menstruating individual. The disposable menstrual products shall be available in a convenient manner that does not stigmatize the individual seeking such products.

SECTION 2. Chapter 71 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 3 the following section:-

Section 3A. (a) As used in this section, the following words shall have the following meanings unless the context clearly requires otherwise:-

“Disposable menstrual products”, products used by a menstruating individual including, but not limited to, sanitary napkins, tampons and underwear liners.

“Menstruating individual”, a person who menstruates.

(b) Every primary and secondary school shall provide disposable menstrual products at no cost to students. The disposable menstrual products shall be available in a convenient manner that does not stigmatize the individual seeking such products, including, but not limited to, in restrooms for menstruating individuals.

SECTION 3. Chapter 127 of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following section:-

Section 170. (a) As used in this section, the following words shall have the following meanings unless the context clearly requires otherwise:

“Administrator”, the keeper of a lock-up facility under chapter 40, the superintendent of a correctional facility under chapter 125, a sheriff or special sheriff in charge of a jail, house of correction or regional lock-up facility under chapter 126, the colonel of state police and any other official who oversees a facility used for the detention of persons arrested and held in custody or serving a sentence.

“Disposable menstrual products”, products used by a menstruating individual including, but not limited to, sanitary napkins, tampons and underwear liners.

“Menstruating individual”, a person who menstruates.

(b) The administrator shall provide disposable menstrual products to menstruating individuals held or housed in the facility overseen by the administrator at no cost. The disposable menstrual products shall be available in a convenient manner that does not stigmatize the individual seeking such products.