FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 26, 2025
Contact: Jama Joseph, 646-951-1648, jama.joseph@weact.org
ALBANY, NY – Today, the JustGreen Partnership is celebrating a mid-point legislative session win with the unanimous passage of the Ban on PFAS and Toxic Chemicals Bill S.1548 (Fernandez) / A1502 (Rosenthal) in the Assembly, following unanimous passage in the Senate in January. Next step is the Governor Hochul‘s desk. Once signed into law by the end of the year, New York will join California, Maine, and Vermont in restricting PFAS in menstrual products, and go beyond other states by restricting other harmful chemicals.
This bill will regulate the sale and distribution of menstrual products (pads, tampons, liners, sponges, etc.) in New York State that contain restricted substances or unsafe chemicals, including PFAS “forever chemicals,” heavy metals like lead and mercury, hormone disrupting parabens, and carcinogens like formaldehyde and toluene.
As the JustGreen Partnership celebrates the unanimous passage of the bill today, they turn their focus to the Governor, who has long been vocal about her support for women’s reproductive rights, at a time when such rights are under attack federally. When New York State required period product makers to disclose ingredients on product packaging sold in the state under a law passed in 2019, companies responded by adding the labels nationally. This fits a pattern and advocates anticipate safer period products on store shelves from New York to New Mexico.
“Today’s vote is a historic win for public health, environmental justice, and menstrual equity in New York. With the passage of S.1548/A.1502, we are shifting the burden away from consumers and putting it where it belongs—on manufacturers—to ensure the safety of products used in the most intimate parts of our lives,” said New York State Senator Nathalia Fernandez. “It’s a commonsense, science-backed step toward a healthier, more just future. I’m proud to have worked alongside Assemblymember Rosenthal and a broad coalition of advocates to deliver this win for New Yorkers, and I look forward to seeing the Governor sign it into law.”
“Manufacturing giants will no longer be able to sell toxic period products in New York State when my bill takes effect,” said Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal (D/WF-Manhattan), Chair of the Assembly Committee on Housing. “For more than a century, women have been inserting untested and unregulated products into the most sensitive and absorbent part of their body. With the passage of my legislation, New York is ensuring that no woman will ever have to face this dangerous indignity again. I am incredibly grateful to Clean+Healthy, especially its Executive Director, Bobbi Wilding, for their unyielding support in getting this much-needed measure over the finish line.”
“We are thrilled that the Assembly has unanimously passed Assemblymember Rosenthal’s bill to ban PFAS and other toxic chemicals in period products, after the Senate swiftly unanimously passed Senator Fernandez’s matching bill in January. There’s no excuse for period product makers to allow harmful chemicals in their products. Everyone deserves to have access to these intimate products that are free of health-harming chemicals, whether or not they know about chemical hazards, regardless of how much money they have in their pockets, and frankly, whether or not they think this is important,” said Bobbi Wilding, Executive Director of Clean+Healthy. “Now, as we see rapid erosion of public health and environmental protections at the federal level, it’s more important than ever that New York State enacts these protections. We know that when New York required ingredient labels on period products, it changed packaging information nationally. We expect the same will be true again. Governor Hochul, we look forward to you signing this bill into law without delay!”
“Women and femmes of color are already disproportionately exposed to toxic chemicals in their lived environment, and even more so from beauty products that are marketed towards them. One way to reduce this dangerous exposure is to ban toxic chemicals in period products, which pose a heightened risk given their use in sensitive areas of the body as well as their duration of use. This crucial legislation for menstruators’ health will prohibit the use of chemicals such as PFAS, talc, lead, synthetic fragrances and so many more. All of these toxins are closely linked to resulting in cancer, contribute to fertility and reproductive challenges, reduce immune function, and interfere with hormones,” said Briana Carbajal, State Legislative Manager at WE ACT for Environmental Justice. “Thank you to Senator Fernandez and Assemblymember Rosenthal for championing the passage of such an exemplary piece of legislation for other states to follow suit.”
“New Yorkers and our communities are inundated by exposure to toxic ‘forever chemicals’ (like PFAS) each and every day, and in ways that we don’t even realize,” said Caitlin Ferrante, Conservation Program Manager, Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter. “Ridding our environment of these ubiquitous toxins will improve public health and help to reduce the costs of healthcare and expensive filtration of drinking water. The passage of A.1502/S.1548 will help limit yet another pathway of PFAS and other toxic chemicals exposure, in products used by more than half of the population, in the most intimate areas of their bodies. The Sierra Club is grateful for the leadership shown by Assemblymember Rosenthal and Senator Fernandez in getting this legislation passed in both houses this year, and look forward to Governor Hochul signing the bill into law.”
“Today’s passage of the Safe Menstrual Products Act is a period-defining moment for health and safety,” said Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director, Citizens Campaign for the Environment “Women should not be unnecessarily exposed to PFAS chemicals, formaldehyde, parabens and other toxics when they use these products. This legislation creates a future where menstrual and feminine hygiene products are as safe as they are necessary. CCE commends Assemblymember Rosenthal and Senator Fernandez for their leadership and we look forward to working with them to get this bill signed into law.”
“PFAS are pervasive toxic compounds with major implications for the health of our children and families who are commonly exposed through everyday household products. Menstrual products are particularly concerning sources of exposure as PFAS have been linked to lower birth weights, altered timing of puberty in adolescents, and high blood pressure in pregnancy that can have serious effects during childbirth among other health issues,” said Charles Moon, MD, Co-Chair of the Public Policy and Advocacy Committee for the NYS Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. “The NYS AAP thanks the Assembly for continued leadership on toxic chemical protections by passing this commonsense legislation and helping New Yorkers live healthier.”
“It is mind-boggling to have to say this, but dangerous ‘forever chemicals’ have no place in products designed for intimate bodily use,” said Kate Donovan, Senior Attorney & Northeast Director of Environmental Health at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council). “Bill A1502 / S1548 removes the burden from consumers to try to find less toxic products, and instead requires manufacturers to make products safe. The New York Legislature has finally taken the crucial step to protect New Yorkers that use menstrual products from dangerous chemicals that are known to cause serious health impacts.”
“The business community thanks the New York State legislature for passing this common sense, yet uncommon, legislation,” said Bob Rossi, Executive Director of the New York Sustainable Business Council (NYSBC). “Our businesses and economy depend on a healthy citizenry, which is threatened by PFAS poisoning, especially in products that directly contact our skin. We must push forward, support innovation, and meet the growing consumer demand for safer products—some even produced here in New York. We look to Governor Hochul to sign this bill into law.”
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The JustGreen Partnership is an 18 year old collaboration of environmental justice, environmental health, environmental health affected, children’s, and business organizations working for environmental health and just for New York’s people and communities.