Statement: WVE Opposes California Assembly Bill 1989

California AB 1989 allows manufacturers to intentionally hide ingredients

Women’s Voices for the Earth (WVE) opposes California Assembly Bill 1989. AB 1989 was introduced by Assembly Member Cristina Garcia and requires some ingredients to be listed on the packaging of tampons, pads, menstrual cup and underwear, but also allows manufacturers to hide certain ingredients as confidential business information. Recently, A.164B (authored by Linda B. Rosenthal) was signed into law by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, requiring disclosure of intentionally added ingredients. Notably, the bill does not allow manufacturers to hide ingredients from their customers by deeming them to be confidential business information. The New York law passed, setting a precedent that the public has the right to know every ingredient added to menstrual products. We cannot support legislation that weakens this right.

AB 1989 represents a step backward for ingredient disclosure of menstrual products. Californians deserve to have the same access to information as the public has in New York. If manufacturers are already required to provide this information in New York, they should also be required to provide the same information in California.