S-5985.1

SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 6073

BySenate Early Learning & K-12 Education (originally sponsored by Senators Dhingra, Rivers, Lovelett, Saldaña, Wilson, C., Mullet, Keiser, Nguyen, Cleveland, Salomon, Randall, Rolfes, Darneille, Conway, Pedersen, Kuderer, Van De Wege, Das, Liias, Frockt, Hasegawa, and Stanford)

AN ACT Relating to menstrual hygiene products in public school bathrooms; and adding a new section to chapter 28A.210 RCW.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 28A.210 RCW to read as follows:

(1) By the beginning of the 2021-22 school year, school districts must make menstrual hygiene products available at no cost in gender-neutral bathrooms and bathrooms designated for female students located in public schools that serve students in any of grades six through twelve.

(a) The menstrual hygiene products must be in two bathrooms in a school or in fifty percent of bathrooms in a school, whichever is greater. A nurse's office or counselor's office may count as one of the two bathrooms or toward the fifty percent of bathrooms in a school.

(b) The menstrual hygiene products are for student use only.

(2) Menstrual hygiene products must include sanitary napkins, tampons, or similar items.

(3) School districts must bear the cost of supplying menstrual hygiene products. School districts may seek grants or partner with nonprofit or community-based organizations to fulfill this obligation.

(4) This section is a state health requirement under RCW 28A.710.040 and applies to charter schools established in accordance with chapter 28A.710 RCW.

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