BOSTON — The state Senate has passed a bill that would mandate menstrual product manufacturers to disclose the ingredients used in their products, an effort sparked years ago by three eighth graders appalled to learn that these products — such as tampons and pads — can contain potentially harmful chemicals and toxins.
In 2022, current Frontier Regional High School Seniors Anna Haskins, Greta Hale and Malcolm Howard researched women’s health care for a civic action project.
“It started in eight grade,” said Hale, who hopes to help get the bill into law. “I didn’t think much would come out of it at first but I was definitely passionate about it.”
Shortly after, the students met with Rep. Natalie Blais, D-Deerfield, and later, Sen. Jo Comerford, D-Northampton, to file a bill in 2023 that would mandate the disclosure of ingredients in menstrual products. Hale said Blais was receptive and helped massively moving the legislative process forward.
“It is important and necessary for producers of menstrual products to list the ingredients on their packaging and that was not something on my radar until these students brought it to our attention,” Blais said.
On Thursday, Oct. 16, the bill S.2641, an act relative to menstrual product ingredient disclosure, passed the Senate unanimously.
The act was packaged with bill S.2640, also known as the “I AM” bill, that would expand access to disposable menstrual products in public schools, homeless shelters and jails and prisons at no cost.
The bills now move to the House of Representatives for consideration, with Blais and the students still working closely together to push for the final step.
“These students have been statewide leaders on this issue,” Blais said. “They’ve driven to Boston, they’ve testified for the committee in support of this legislation and it is phenomenal to see their leadership on this issue paying off.”
Comerford said there are many laws like the I AM bill across the country, increasing free access to menstrual products.
“It’s really about breaking down access so that someone that is menstruating can do what they need to do,” she said about the I AM bill. “So a student can stay in school rather than worrying about not having menstrual products … This is a very clear way to support these individuals.”
Earlier this year, Rep. Mindy Domb, D-Amherst, also filed legislation seeking to increase menstrual product activity. Bill H.3318 would require free disposable menstrual products including sanitary napkins, tampons and underwear liners to be available in bathrooms inside public buildings, as well as public institutions of higher education.
Domb has championed efforts to increase free access to menstrual products in public buildings, specifically schools. She previously told the Gazette that many college students experience financial hardship due in part to the ongoing cost of menstruation products.
Nonprofit Mass NOW, an organization dedicated to pursuing equity, justice and building intersectional feminism in the commonwealth, is also advocating for both of the bills.
“Menstrual equity is not only about making products free — it’s about ensuring those products are safe, high quality and labeled with full ingredient disclosure,” Executive Director of Mass NOW Sasha Goodfriend said in a statement.
Ingredient disclosure is not as prevalent in the country. There are no federal requirements, and New York, California and Nevada are some of the only states with similar legislation.
For Comerford and Blais, this bill is a no-brainer. Just like food and beverage manufacturers have to list ingredients that are being consumed, menstrual products should do the same.
“In some menstrual products there are very dangerous ingredients — arsenic, lead, PFAs, dioxins,” Comerford said. “These are not substances we want close to our body or even inside our body as menstruators and we would not have any way as consumers to know what are in these products before this bill.”
“We should absolutely be requiring the disclosure of menstrual product ingredients on packaging. We should understand what we are putting in our bodies,” said Blais.
Comerford reinforced that not every manufacturer uses harmful materials. But a person who menstruates, on average uses more than 10,000 menstrual products in their lifetime. She hopes if the ingredient disclosure bill passes, it will encourage a market shift away from using harmful materials.
The two legislators praised the three young students who have invested in their democracy to make a change.
“This is really what we want to see from young people today, is to see them get involved in the process and get results from an idea that they sparked,” said Blais.
“They’ve invested in their democracy, and these young leaders are getting to see the power they have in their democracy to change things,” Comerford said about the students.