Bill
S 3866
Requires free menstrual products in restrooms of covered public buildings, improving access for people who menstruate and mandating stocking and upkeep by facilities.
Bill number: S3866
Short title (as given): Provides access to menstrual products in toilet facilities in certain public buildings
Status: Ordered to Third Reading (Rules Cal. 771) — Passed Senate 6/13/2025; Delivered to Assembly 6/13/2025; Referred to Assembly Ways & Means
Introduced: November 18, 2024
Classification: Bill
Note on source material and scope
- The materials provided contain inconsistent content. The bill’s title refers to access to menstrual products in certain public buildings, but the full text included in the packet (the “Introduced Version”) is an Act establishing a Task Force on Student Mental Health. Two amended versions (3866A and 3866B) are present as PDF fragments but not legible in the materials provided.
- Below I (1) summarize the available, authoritative introduced text (Task Force on Student Mental Health), and (2) note the likely intent and typical provisions of a menstrual-products access bill based on the title, flagged as speculative because the bill text for that subject was not provided.
Purpose
- Establishes a 16-member Task Force on Student Mental Health to examine mental health issues affecting public school students and recommend actions to improve access to mental health care and services so students can meet educational goals.
Membership
- 16 members:
- Commissioner of Education (ex officio or designee) and Director of Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services (or designee)
- One public member each appointed by Senate President and Senate Minority Leader (with relevant expertise)
- One public member each appointed by Assembly Speaker and Assembly Minority Leader (with relevant expertise)
- Ten Governor-appointed members: a school board member, a school principal, a school administrator, an elementary teacher, a high school teacher, a school counselor, a school social worker, a school psychologist (each currently employed in NJ public schools), and two parents of public school students
Operations, support, and compensation
- Appointments due within 30 days of the act’s effective date; vacancies filled same way.
- Members serve without compensation but are reimbursed for necessary expenses subject to available funds.
- The task force must organize within 30 days of appointments, elect a chair, and appoint a secretary.
- The Department of Education provides administrative, clerical, and professional support; the task force may use staff from other public agencies as available.
Duties and study topics
- Examine identification of students experiencing depression, anxiety, stress, trauma, or other mental health disorders.
- Evaluate and recommend expansion of counseling and mental health programs and services in schools.
- Study relationship between student mental health and school safety/security.
- Determine funding needs for hiring appropriate staff and establishing/expanding programs.
- Review other states’ successful programs and recommend best practices.
- Consider any other proposals to increase access to high-quality mental health programs and services for public school students.
Report and sunset
- Final report due to Governor and Legislature within one year of organizational meeting.
- Task force expires 30 days after submitting its final report.
- Effective immediately upon enactment.
Potential impact
- Would produce a statewide assessment and specific recommendations for expanding school mental health services, staffing, training, funding estimates, and policy changes — providing a roadmap for legislative, Executive, and local education actions.
Because the actual legislative text addressing menstrual products was not provided in the materials, the following describes the typical elements and potential effects of bills with this title (this is not a substitute for the bill text):
Typical purpose
- Require free access to menstrual products (tampons, pads, etc.) in toilet facilities of specified public buildings (often including state-owned buildings, public colleges/universities, K–12 schools, and sometimes county/municipal facilities).
Typical provisions (examples commonly found in similar laws)
- Which facilities are covered (state, county, municipal buildings; public schools; higher education institutions)
- Placement and maintenance requirements (install dispensers in women’s/menstrual-care restrooms, stocking frequency)
- Funding/appropriation language or requirement that agency budgets absorb costs
- Enforcement, reporting, or compliance deadlines and possible penalties
- Definitions (menstrual products, toilet facilities, public building)
Who would be affected
- People who menstruate who use covered public facilities; facility managers and custodial staff; state/local budget offices if appropriations required.
Potential impact
- Improves access to menstrual hygiene products and reduces access barriers in public settings; imposes operational costs on facility owners/operators (maintenance and product procurement); may require appropriations or budget reallocation.
Related/companion bills: A1169, A1740 (companions); prior-session S9184.
If you want a focused summary of the menstrual-products version, please provide the full text of the S3866A or S3866B version that addresses menstrual products (or confirm that you want me to summarize the introduced Task Force on Student Mental Health text above).
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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