LEGISLATIVE FISCAL ESTIMATE

SENATE, No. 692

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

219th LEGISLATURE

 

DATED: FEBRUARY 5, 2020

 

 

SUMMARY

 

Synopsis:

Requires school districts to provide feminine hygiene products in certain public schools and requires State to pay costs.

Type of Impact:

Annual State expenditure increase.

Annual school district expenditure and revenue increases.

Agencies Affected:

Department of Education.

Certain School Districts.

 

 

Office of Legislative Services Estimate

Fiscal Impact

Year 1 

Year 2 

Year 3 

 

State Cost Increase

$450,000 - $900,000

$150,000 - $300,000

$150,000 - $300,000

 

Local Cost Increase

$450,000 - $900,000

$150,000 - $300,000

$150,000 - $300,000

 

Local Revenue Increase

$450,000 - $900,000

$150,000 - $300,000

$150,000 - $300,000

 

 

 

 

·         The Office of Legislative Services (OLS) estimates that the bill would lead to a $450,000 to $900,000 increase in State expenditures in the first full school year following enactment and a $150,000 to $300,000 increase in State expenditures in each subsequent year.  The expenditures would first be incurred by school districts and then reimbursed by the State.  The greater costs in the first year reflect the initial purchase of feminine hygiene product dispensers.  

 

·         Based on data from the 2017-2018 school year, under the bill, approximately 614 schools across the State would be required to provide free feminine hygiene products in at least 50 percent of the school bathrooms.  Total enrollment of students in grades 6 through 12 in these schools approximated 272,000.

 

 

BILL DESCRIPTION

 

      The bill requires certain school districts to provide feminine hygiene products free of charge in at least 50 percent of the bathrooms of certain schools beginning in the first full school year following the bill’s date of enactment.  The requirement applies to schools educating students in grades 6 through 12, or any combination thereof, in which at least 40 percent of the students reside in households with incomes not exceeding 185 percent of the most recent federal poverty guidelines.  Related school district expenditures will be reimbursed by the State.

 

 

FISCAL ANALYSIS

 

EXECUTIVE BRANCH

 

      None received.

 

OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE SERVICES

 

      The OLS estimates that the bill would lead to a $450,000 to $900,000 increase in State expenditures in the first full school year following enactment and a $150,000 to $300,000 increase in State expenditures in each subsequent year.  The expenditures would first be incurred by school districts and then reimbursed by the State.

      The OLS bases its estimate on information submitted by the Desert Sands Unified School District to the California Commission on State Mandates as part of the district’s challenge of a similar bill enacted in California.  The filing included a detailed breakdown of the expenditures the school district incurred to comply with the new law.  Excluding the labor costs associated with training staff and restocking feminine hygiene product dispensers, these costs approximated $1.60 per pupil in the first year and $0.51 per pupil in the subsequent year.  The greater costs in the first year reflect the initial purchase of feminine hygiene product dispensers. 

      Based on data from the 2017-2018 school year, under the bill, approximately 614 schools across New Jersey would be required to provide free feminine hygiene products in at least 50 percent of the school bathrooms.  Total enrollment of students in grades 6 through 12 in these schools approximated 272,000.  Applying the per-pupil costs calculated under the California bill, the OLS estimates costs to range from $450,000 to $900,000 in the first year and from $150,000 to $300,000 in each subsequent year.  The range reflects uncertainty regarding the future consumption of free feminine hygiene products in affected schools.

 

 

Section:

Education

Analyst:

William Owens

Assistant Fiscal Analyst

Approved:

Frank W. Haines III

Legislative Budget and Finance Officer

 

 

This legislative fiscal estimate has been produced by the Office of Legislative Services due to the failure of the Executive Branch to respond to our request for a fiscal note.

 

This fiscal estimate has been prepared pursuant to P.L.1980, c.67 (C.52:13B-6 et seq.).