The New York State Senate

                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                   572

                       2017-2018 Regular Sessions

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                             January 9, 2017
                               ___________

Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  ROSENTHAL  --  read once and referred to the
  Committee on Health

AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to the creation of  a
  research program to determine the risks posed from potential toxins in
  feminine  hygiene  products;  and  providing  for  the  repeal of such
  provisions upon expiration thereof

  THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section  1.  Short  title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
"the tampon safety and research act".
  § 2. Title 6 of article 2 of the public health law, as added by  chap-
ter  342  of the laws of 2014, is amended by adding a new section 267 to
read as follows:
  § 267. TAMPON SAFETY AND RESEARCH. 1. FOR PURPOSES  OF  THIS  SECTION,
THE  TERM "FEMININE HYGIENE PRODUCTS" MEANS TAMPONS, PADS, LINERS, CUPS,
SPONGES, DOUCHES, WIPES, SPRAYS, AND SIMILAR PRODUCTS USED  IN  CONJUNC-
TION WITH RESPECT TO MENSTRUATION OR OTHER GENITAL-TRACT SECRETIONS.
  2.  THE  COMMISSIONER  SHALL  PROVIDE  FOR  THE  CONDUCT OR SUPPORT OF
RESEARCH BY THE DEPARTMENT TO DETERMINE THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE PRESENCE
OF DIOXINS, SYNTHETIC FIBERS, CHLORINE, AND OTHER COMPONENTS  (INCLUDING
CONTAMINANTS  AND  SUBSTANCES  USED  AS FRAGRANCES, COLORANTS, DYES, AND
PRESERVATIVES) IN TAMPONS AND OTHER FEMININE HYGIENE PRODUCTS:
  (A) POSES ANY RISKS TO THE HEALTH OF INDIVIDUALS WHO USE THE PRODUCTS,
INCLUDING RISKS RELATING TO CERVICAL CANCER, ENDOMETRIOSIS, INFERTILITY,
OVARIAN  CANCER,  BREAST  CANCER,  IMMUNE  SYSTEM  DEFICIENCIES,  PELVIC
INFLAMMATORY  DISEASE,  TOXIC  SHOCK  SYNDROME,  AND BACTERIAL AND YEAST
INFECTIONS; AND
  (B) POSES ANY RISKS TO THE HEALTH OF BIOLOGICAL CHILDREN BORN TO INDI-
VIDUALS  WHO  USED  SUCH  PRODUCTS  DURING  OR  BEFORE  THE  PREGNANCIES
INVOLVED, INCLUDING RISKS RELATING TO FETAL AND CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT.

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD01938-01-7

A. 572                              2

  3.  RESEARCH  UNDER  SUBDIVISION  TWO  OF  THIS  SECTION SHALL INCLUDE
RESEARCH TO CONFIRM THE DATA  ON  TAMPONS  AND  OTHER  FEMININE  HYGIENE
PRODUCTS  SUBMITTED TO THE UNITED STATES FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION BY
MANUFACTURERS OF SUCH PRODUCTS.
  4.  SUCH RESEARCH PROJECTS SHALL BE COMPLETED WITHIN FOUR YEARS OF THE
EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION.
  5. WITHIN ONE YEAR OF THE COMPLETION OF  SUCH  RESEARCH,  ANY  CONCLU-
SIONS,  RECOMMENDATIONS  AND PROPOSALS FOR IMPLEMENTING SUCH RECOMMENDA-
TIONS SHALL BE TRANSMITTED TO THE GOVERNOR, THE TEMPORARY  PRESIDENT  OF
THE  SENATE, THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY, THE CHAIR OF THE SENATE HEALTH
COMMITTEE, AND THE CHAIR OF THE ASSEMBLY  HEALTH  COMMITTEE,  AND  SHALL
ALSO BE MADE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC.
  §  3.  This  act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
have become a law and shall expire and be  deemed  repealed  five  years
after such date.