Mayor Bill de Blasio signed on July 13, 2016, a package of legislation increasing access to feminine hygiene products for New York City’s shelter residents, students and inmates. With Intros 1122-A, 1123-A and 1128-A, New York City guarantees access to these essential products for all female Department of Correction inmates; persons residing in a City shelter and youth under the care of certain Children’s Services facilities – including transgender, intersex and gender non-conforming New Yorkers; and public school students. The Mayor signed the legislation at the High School for Violin and Dance in the Bronx, further solidifying NYC as a national leader in advocating for women and girls, regardless of sexual orientation or gender expression.
The first bill, Intro. 1122-A, requires the Department of Correction to ensure that all female inmates are guaranteed access to feminine hygiene products, codifying an existing practice into law. This bill reaffirms that everyone under the care of the City should have access to the hygiene products they need. In his remarks, the Mayor thanked the bill’s sponsors, Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and Council Member Julissa Ferreras-Copeland.
The second bill, Intro. 1123-A, requires the Department of Citywide Administrative Services to make feminine hygiene products available to agencies that operate temporary shelters or have oversight of providers operating temporary shelters. This includes the Department of Homeless Services family shelters and single adult shelters; HIV/AIDS Services Administration shelters; and Human Resources Administration domestic violence shelters. The bill also requires DCAS to make such products available to youth in secure detention facilities, and youth awaiting placement with a licensed foster care agency in congregate care facilities, both of which are operated by the Administration for Children’s Services.
By making feminine hygiene products available in all single-adult shelters – not just women’s shelters – the bill guarantees that transgender, intersex and gender non-conforming New Yorkers will all have access to the products, regardless of their gender identity or expression.
The third bill, Intro. 1128-A, requires the Department of Education to make free feminine hygiene products available to students in the bathrooms of school buildings, making New York City’s the largest program of its kind nationwide. This bill ensures that students have the support they need to focus on learning and feel comfortable in the classroom.
This policy will apply to school buildings in which there are female students in grades 6 to 12, including charter schools in DOE-controlled and operated spaces. To better educate New York City families on this program, schools will host parent workshops and student information sessions about feminine hygiene products during the 2016-2017 school year. In his remarks, the Mayor thanked the bill’s sponsors, Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and Council Member Julissa Ferreras-Copeland.
Intro. 1128-A comes after a successful pilot program during the 2015-2016 school year. The City placed 380 dispensers across 25 middle and high schools and trained staff members in assisting students and parents in any concerns with the program.
Tampons and pads are readily available for all students in DOE facilities who menstruate, including those who are transgender and gender non-conforming. Menstrual hygiene products are also readily available to all inmates in the Department of Correction who menstruate – including those who are transgender and gender non-conforming.
Photo credit: Julissa Ferreras Copeland
