Under a new law signed by Gov. Phil Murphy on Wednesday, school districts in New Jersey will be now required to provide free menstrual products to students in grades 6 through 12.
At least half of the female and gender-neutral bathrooms will have to make available products such as tampons and pads. Around 1,400 schools all over the Garden State will be affected by the mandate. The Legislature estimates that 354,497 female students are enrolled in these schools.
The requirement is expected to cost between $1.8 million and $3.5 million for the first full school year and between $1.4 million and $2.9 million for succeeding years, according to the nonpartisan Office of Legislative Services of the legislature. Any expenses incurred by schools as a result of the law will be paid for by the Garden State.
New Jersey joins at least ten other states and the District of Columbia in requiring free menstruation products in schools. Alabama, Delaware, and Utah are a few of the states that recently approved legislation of a similar nature.
“When students can’t access the menstrual products they need for their reproductive health, the potential stress and stigma too often distracts them from their classes or forces them to skip school entirely,” said Gov. Phil Murphy in a statement.
