On October 11, New York passed legislation S.2387-B/A.164-B requiring manufacturers to disclose the ingredients of menstrual products on the packages they are sold in; this is the first state in the USA to do this. The passing of this law will allow consumers to make informed decisions about the menstrual products they use.

Menstrual products are often marketed with very little to no information about the ingredients they contain. They are generally categorized as medical devices by the Food and Drug Administration and therefore manufacturers are not federally required to disclose the products’ ingredients on the packaging.

The legislation will take effect in 180 days after it was signed on October 11, however manufacturers will have up to 18 months to ensure their product packaging and labels are compliant. It is important to note that this requirement is an addition to other legally required labelling. Any violations will be subject to a civil penalty of up to 1% of the manufacturers total in-state sales, not exceeding USD $1 000 per package or box.