CCC testified before the City Council Committee on Women’s Issues regarding Reso. 1012, calling upon the State Legislature to pass and the Governor to sign legislation that amends the Tax Law to exempt feminine hygiene products from all state and local sales taxes.
At the time of the hearing, the bill had passed in both the Assembly and the Senate and Governor Cuomo issued a statement in response indicating his eagerness to sign the legislation.
CCC also testified in support of three Council bills introduced at this hearing:
Int. No. 1122, which would require the Department of Corrections to provide feminine hygiene products to inmates upon request;
Int. No 1123, which would require any female in temporary shelter (DHS family shelter and single adult women shelter, DYCD Runaway and Homeless Youth Shelter and HRA domestic violence shelter) be provided with an adequate supply of feminine hygiene products;
Int. No. 1128, which would require the Department of Education, in coordination with the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, to provide each school with an adequate supply of feminine hygiene products sufficient to meet the needs of its students.
CCC urged the City Council to pass, and the Mayor to sign, all three of these bills which will ensure that girls, young women and women, and particularly those who are low-income and/or vulnerable, have access to the feminine hygiene products they need.
Finally, CCC suggested that the City Council consider introducing additional pieces of legislation that would ensure that additional young women and girls, particularly very vulnerable young women under the care of the Administration for Children’s Services, have access to feminine hygiene products as well.
