Recently, the Massachusetts Senate unanimously passed a pair of bills that advance its commitment to health equity by promoting safe and easy access to menstrual products.

One of the bills, S.2640, expands access to necessary products like tampons and pads in public schools, homeless shelters, and jails and prisons. The legislation requires that these disposable products be made available at no cost to people who need them. An Act to increase access to disposable menstrual products, also known as the I AM bill, addresses the struggle to afford menstrual products, a key necessity for personal hygiene, for many menstruating adults, students and children with lower incomes or housing instability. The 2025 State of the Period survey, conducted by The Harris Poll, found that 24 per cent of teens in the United States struggle to afford menstrual products. The poll also found a high number of teens missing out on class time as a result while 39 per cent of teens reported an impact on their schoolwork as a result of limited access to menstrual products.

“Equitable access to free disposable menstrual products is a necessity for menstruators everywhere,” said Senator Patricia D. Jehlen (D-Somerville). “This bill has the ability to ensure menstruators in public schools, shelters and prisons no longer have to experience anxiety, shame or fear around periods. Students in my district were the first to meet with me and speak out about their concerns in school of not knowing if they would have access to menstrual products when they needed them. I am so glad to see this bill passed in the Senate; its passage honors the work and courage of these students who have inspired so many others to break through the stigma and advocate for their peers.”

The second piece of legislation, S.2641, promotes consumer rights by requiring that manufacturers of menstrual health products clearly disclose and display a list of ingredients. The ingredients would be easily accessible on both retail packages and manufacturer websites. An Act relative to menstrual product ingredient disclosure responds to growing concerns around potential health effects of chemicals and other additives. A UC Berkeley study in 2024 also highlighted potential exposure to toxic metals.

“A person who menstruates will use, on average, over 10,000 menstrual products in their lifetime,” said Senator Joanne M. Comerford (D-Northampton). “Yet, menstrual products have increasingly been found to contain harmful substances such as PFAS, heavy metals, and other toxic chemicals. I am grateful to Senate President Spilka and Senate Ways and Means Chair Rodrigues for their leadership in moving Massachusetts forward in the fight for menstrual equity and consumer protection, including by requiring ingredient disclosures for all menstrual products sold in the Commonwealth.”

“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,” said Sasha Goodfriend, Executive Director of Mass NOW. “We are deeply grateful that the Senate understands that dignity requires both access and accountability. Today’s vote sends a powerful message: menstruators in Massachusetts deserve not just products, but the ability to make informed choices about what products they use for their menstrual health.”

The I AM bill, S.2640, was advanced by the Senate Committee on Ways and Means on October 9, 2025 on a 15-0 vote, following a 5-0 vote in the Joint Committee on Public Health on July 10, 2025. The Senate passed similar legislation in the last two successive terms.

Both bills were passed by the Senate on bipartisan 39-0 roll call votes and now go to the House of Representatives for consideration.