The Peru Gazette

Speaker Carl Heastie and Assembly Member Linda Rosenthal announced the passage of legislation (A.1502, Rosenthal) this week to make menstrual products safer by restricting the purposeful inclusion of certain chemicals like lead, mercury and per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) among others in their production.

“Women should not be facing problems with their health simply through the use of menstrual products,” said Speaker Heastie. “This bill holds producers accountable and ensures that the Assembly Majority is doing everything in our power to protect New Yorkers and our environment.”

“Since the sale of the first menstrual pad 186 years ago, women have been kept in the dark about the ingredients found in their most trusted period products,” said Assembly Member Rosenthal. “My 2019 menstrual ingredient labeling law and recent studies have shined a bright law on the toxins, metals and microplastics contained in pads and tampons, and my newest bill, when signed into law, will ban those dangerous substances. New York has made clear that women are not science experiments and their health should not come at the cost of improving a company’s bottom line. I would like to thank Speaker Heastie for helping to get this bill over the finish line, as well as my colleagues for unanimously voting in favor of this important measure.”

This legislation would restrict the inclusion of these chemicals within menstrual products and by January 1, 2029, require the Department of Health and the Department of Environmental Conservation to set a minimum safe level for these chemicals which will give manufacturers guideposts to follow when dealing with substances that may not be feasible to totally eliminate from the product.