Five years after legislation required free menstrual products in public schools, New York state lawmakers have advanced legislation that would expand that to non-public schools.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the bill’s state Senate sponsor, freshman Brooklyn Democrat Iwen Chu, said the bill would go "a long way in addressing menstrual inequalities" and added, "this legislation doesn’t just address accessibility to products, but also continues to break down the stigma around menstruation."

In a statement to Capital Tonight, the bill’s Assembly sponsor, Linda Rosenthal said "no student, no matter the type of school they attend, should have to miss time in the classroom because of a lack of access to menstrual products.” Rosenthal continues “I am hopeful the Governor will sign my bill expanding the requirement that products be available to students attending non-public schools. We will then be one step closer to achieving true menstrual equity and eliminating the stigma that has surrounded menstruation for decades.”

The legislation would require all non-public schools serving students from grade six to grade twelve to provide menstrual products in restrooms in school buildings at no charge to the student. The bill once signed would go into effect the following July, or effectively, the next school year.

According to a report from the ACLU entitled "The Unequal Price of Periods," nearly one in five American teenagers who live in poverty lack menstrual products. Additionally, people experiencing homelessness have reported infections due to using the product longer than recommended.

The bill received bipartisan support in the upper chamber when it passed the Senate in May. Now, the bill is waiting to be delivered to the governor. Once the governor receives the bill, she will have ten days to act on it, excluding Sundays.

Chu’s office told Capital Tonight that they are "confident that the governor will sign this bill into law," but says there is no expected timeline on when the bill will be delivered.