S1659

Sponsored by:

Senator DECLAN J. O'SCANLON, JR.

District 13 (Monmouth)

Senator KRISTIN M. CORRADO

District 40 (Bergen, Essex and Passaic)

Co-Sponsored by:

Senators Gopal and Amato

SYNOPSIS

Requires school districts to incorporate age-appropriate instruction on menstrual toxic shock syndrome and requires installation of signage in certain women’s rooms to enhance public awareness of menstrual toxic shock syndrome.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

As reported by the Senate Education Committee with technical review.

An Act concerning toxic shock syndrome and supplementing Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes and Title 26 of the Revised Statutes.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. Beginning with the first full school year following the date of enactment, each school district shall incorporate instruction on menstrual toxic shock syndrome in grades four through 12 as part of the district’s implementation of the New Jersey Student Learning Standards in Comprehensive Health and Physical Education. The instruction shall include information on the causes and symptoms of menstrual toxic shock syndrome and the ways in which a student may reduce the risk for developing the syndrome. The Commissioner of Education shall provide school districts with age-appropriate sample learning activities and resources designed to implement this requirement.

2. a. The owner of a group A or M occupancy that maintains a restroom that is open to the public and available for use by women, and that includes two or more toilets, shall ensure the installation and maintenance of a sign in the restroom alerting women to the warning signs, causes, and dangers of menstrual toxic shock syndrome. The sign shall be installed on or near a tampon dispenser, if one exists in the restroom, or in a prominent location of the restroom. The sign shall be installed on or before the first day of the sixth month next following the adoption of rules and regulations pursuant to subsection b. of this section.

b. The Commissioner of Health shall promulgate rules and regulations pursuant to the “Administrative Procedure Act,” P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), in order to effectuate the purposes of this section. The rules and regulations shall include, but not be limited to, standards for the placement, appearance, and wording of the required signage, and the frequency and criteria of public access that shall cause a space to be designated as open to the public.

c. As used in this section, “group A or M occupancy” means an Assembly Group A occupancy or a Mercantile Group M occupancy, as defined in the most recently adopted New Jersey International Building Code or its successor, with the exception of an occupancy located within an elementary school that does not include grades above grade five.

3. The Commissioner of Health shall prepare and make available on the Internet website of the Department of Health
informational literature concerning the signs, causes, and dangers of menstrual toxic shock syndrome.

4. This act shall take effect immediately.