Sponsored by:
Senator M. TERESA RUIZ
District 29 (Essex and Hudson)
SYNOPSIS
Menstrual Equity for Haitian Migrants Act.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning menstrual hygiene products and period inequity and supplementing Title 26 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. This act may be known and shall be cited as the Menstrual Equity for Haitian Migrants Act.
2. The Legislature finds and declares that:
a. Period inequity is an umbrella term that encompasses several issues including unequal access to menstrual hygiene products, also known as period poverty, education, and reproductive care, as well as the stigma surrounding menstruating and the toxic ingredients used in pads and tampons.
b. Period inequity is attributable to the high cost of menstrual hygiene products and the fact that the prices of these products are the same for people who menstruate, regardless of socioeconomic or immigration status.
c. Period inequity and period poverty significantly affect the health, dignity, and overall well-being of individuals, especially among marginalized and newly arrived migrant populations.
d. Haitian migrants, as part of these vulnerable groups, often face substantial challenges in accessing basic menstrual hygiene products due to economic, cultural, and logistical barriers.
e. Recent data from the American Community Survey indicates that approximately 46,000 Haitian migrants reside in New Jersey, making up six percent of the States immigrant population.
f. Addressing the availability of menstrual hygiene products for Haitian migrants is essential for ensuring this populations health and promoting the dignity of a community that has made and continues to make important contributions to the social, economic, and cultural fabric of this State.
g. Therefore, it is in the best interest of the State to support the health and dignity of, and mitigate the economic, cultural, and logistical challenges faced by, Haitian migrants through the creation of a program that ensures the provision of necessary menstrual hygiene products to help this population thrive in the State of New Jersey.
3. a. The Department of Health shall establish a Menstrual Equity for Haitian Migrants Program to purchase menstrual hygiene products and to provide such products at no cost to Haitian migrants who have arrived in the State at least two years prior to the effective date of this act.
b. The department shall contract with community-based, faith-based, and non-profit organizations specifically serving Haitian migrants, including, but not limited to, community health centers, immigration advocacy organizations, or legal assistance organizations that specialize in providing services to individuals of Haitian descent, to distribute sanitary pads, tampons, menstrual cups, and other menstrual hygiene products, deemed necessary by individuals who menstruate, pursuant to the provisions of subsection a. of this section.
c. The department shall conduct outreach activities to ensure that Haitian migrants described in subsection a. of this section are made aware of the program and the organizations contracted with the department to distribute menstrual hygiene products.
d. The program shall be funded by and subject to annual appropriations allocated to the Department of Health from the General Fund for the purchase and distribution of menstrual hygiene products in accordance with the provisions of this section.
e. The department may apply for and accept any grant of money from the State or federal government or other sources, which may be available for programs related to period inequity and menstrual health services.
f. The department shall submit an annual report to the Governor, and to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), on the effectiveness of the Menstrual Equity for Haitian Migrants program. The report shall also include any recommendations for legislative or administrative action necessary to improve the program.
4. The Department of Health shall adopt rules and regulations, pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act, P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), as may be necessary to effectuate the provisions of this act.
5. This act shall take effect on the first day of the third month next following the date of enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill, the Menstrual Equity for Haitian Migrants Act, requires the Department of Health (DOH) to establish a Menstrual Equity for Haitian Migrants Program to purchase menstrual hygiene products and provide such products at no cost to Haitian migrants who have arrived in the State at least two years prior to the effective date of the bill.
Under the bills provisions, the DOH is to contract with community-based, faith-based, and non-profit organizations specifically serving Haitian migrants to distribute sanitary pads, tampons, menstrual cups, and other menstrual hygiene products deemed necessary by individuals who menstruate.
The DOH is also directed to conduct outreach activities to ensure that eligible Haitian migrants are made aware of the program and the organizations contracted to distribute menstrual hygiene products.
The program is to be funded by and subject to annual appropriations allocated to the DOH from the General Fund for the purchase and distribution of menstrual hygiene products, and the DOH may apply for and accept any grant of money from the State or federal government or other sources, which may be available for programs related to period inequity and menstrual health services.
The bill requires the DOH to submit an annual report to the Governor and the Legislature on the effectiveness of, and any recommendations for legislative or administrative action necessary to improve, the program.
Period inequity and period poverty significantly impacts the health, dignity, and overall well-being of individuals, especially among marginalized and newly arrived migrant populations. Haitian migrants, as part of these vulnerable groups, often face substantial challenges in accessing basic menstrual hygiene products due to economic, cultural, and logistical barriers.
Recent data from the American Community Survey indicates that approximately 46,000 Haitian migrants reside in New Jersey, making up six percent of the States immigrant population.
Addressing the availability of menstrual hygiene products for Haitian migrants is essential for ensuring this populations health and promoting the dignity of a community that has made and continues to make important contributions to the social, economic, and cultural fabric of this State.
Therefore, it is in the best interest of the State to support the health and dignity of, and mitigate the economic, cultural, and logistical barriers challenges faced by, Haitian migrants through the creation of a program that ensures the provision of necessary menstrual hygiene products to help this population thrive in the State of New Jersey.