On December 22, 2025, Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal (D/WF–Manhattan) announced that her legislation banning toxic chemicals in menstrual products sold in New York has been signed into law by Gov. Kathy Hochul. The bill, A1502, was sponsored in the State Senate by Senator Nathalia Fernandez.
What the New Law Covers
The new law prohibits the distribution, sale or offer for sale of period products in New York State if they contain intentionally added toxic substances. This includes products like pads, tampons and period underwear.
Banned chemicals include:
- PFAS (also known as “forever chemicals”)
- Lead
- Mercury
- Formaldehyde
- Triclosan
- Toluene
- Talc
- Other intentionally added toxic chemicals
The law is set to take effect in December 2026, giving manufacturers time to reformulate products while prioritizing consumer safety.
Women’s health can no longer be an afterthought. Manufacturers have a responsibility to ensure their products are safe and do not contain harmful ingredients, but various studies and reports have shown that they do. I have passed laws over the years to expand access to period products and ensure consumers know what’s in them, and I am proud that this new law will make these products safer.
Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal
Why This Matters
Menstrual products are used in some of the most sensitive and absorptive areas of the body—often every month, for decades. Yet multiple studies have shown that some of these products contain harmful chemicals.
PFAS, short for per‑ and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are commonly called “forever chemicals” because they build up in the human body and the environment over time. Research has linked PFAS exposure to serious health concerns, including:
- Cancer
- Liver damage
- Thyroid disease
- Hormonal disruption
- Fertility and reproductive issues
- Weakened immune systems
Some of the same dangerous chemicals used in cigarettes and pesticides are also found in menstrual products. New Yorkers must be able to trust that menstrual products, including pads, tampons and period underwear, they use in and around the most sensitive areas of their bodies are free of toxins, but alarming studies have revealed that is not always the case. This new law will ensure that women do not have to put up with poisonous products.
Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal
Building on New York’s Menstrual Equity Leadership
This law builds on New York’s strong track record in menstrual equity policy. In 2019, Assemblymember Rosenthal sponsored the first‑in‑the‑nation law requiring ingredient disclosures on all menstrual products sold in the state—bringing long‑overdue transparency to an industry that had operated largely behind the scenes.
Now, New York is going a step further by not only requiring disclosure but also outright banning many of the most harmful ingredients.
Since the sale of the first menstrual pad 186 years ago, women have been kept in the dark about the ingredients found in their most trusted period products. New York has made clear that women are not science experiments and their health should not come at the cost of improving a company’s bottom line.
Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal
Several states, including Vermont, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Maine, Minnesota and Rhode Island, have passed laws or are working to implement similar bans on toxic chemicals in period products.
