New Jersey’s legislature operates on a two year cycle and every session thousands of bills are introduced. Only a small fraction—the lucky ones—make it through committee hearings to a vote on the Assembly and Senate floor. If they pass both houses, they must pass review by the Governor’s office before they will be signed into law. Any that do not complete the entire process before the end of the session, are declared dead.

A quick search on New Jersey’s legislative website reveals close to 5000 bills (approximating from 11,480 bill records) for the 2020-2021 legislative session. Of these, the number of bills signed into law is less than 300. So what of the rest? Are they simply to be sent to lie in peace in the bill graveyard? 

To be fair, many are introduced with no hope of seeing the light of day in ‘blue’ Jersey, such as the extremist anti-abortion bills introduced in every session. Others however, deserve to be resurrected and given a chance at a second coming. Here are some that this feminist hopes will be reintroduced and passed in the 2022-2023 session.

Menstrual Products in Schools (S692/A3388)—It is no surprise that this is at the top of my list. As co-founder of New Jersey’s first menstrual equity coalition, I can testify that research shows that students who lack access to menstrual products experience higher rates of absences and are less able to focus and engage in the classroom leading  to significant performance gaps. Expanding access to menstrual products can result in increased attendance rates. This one’s a no-brainer, let’s get it done.

Eliminating Gender-based Price Discrimination, aka the Pink Tax (S2039/A5488)—This bill requires businesses such as hair salons and drycleaners to base pricing on service rendered, as in length of hair or casual v. dress pants, rather than gender. It passed the Senate 35-0 with  bipartisan support only to disappear into the void. So what gives?  Why did it get no love in the Assembly? Let’s bring it back and pass it to deliver gender justice in New Jersey.

Anti-discrimination and anti-harassment policy on campaign committees (S3389/A5354)—To be sure there was a lot of controversy surrounding this bill that came out of scandal. If this bill to require accountability and reporting on campaign activities was ever needed, it was during a gubernatorial election year when all 120 legislative seats were also up for election. Once again, the bill passed with overwhelming support in the Senate only to languish in some dark corner of the Assembly Majority Office. Given the abundance of reporting and testimony from former Senator Weinberg’s Workgroup on Harassment, Sexual Assault and Misogyny in NJ Politics, we cannot allow this session to end without enacting this bill.

Creates Task Force for the Development of Universal Child Care (S3257/A5214)—Just a couple of years ago, the idea of universal child care would have fallen into some leftist socialist category. But now that the Biden administration has declared childcare as essential ‘infrastructure,’ we are never walking back on that claim. And since all hope of seeing childcare included in the ‘Build Back Better Act’ is now gone, New Jersey has the opportunity to be a leader and we should seize it.

Require all titles on ballots to be gender neutral (S1201/A1674)—This one is personal. When I ran for local office in 2018, the ballot listed  the office I was running for as ‘Councilman.’  I worked with the county clerk to change the ballots in Union County, but this bill would ensure statewide compliance. Women (and non-binary folk) running for office face so many inherent biases in our electoral process—this one is an easy fix.  

Anjali Mehrotra is a fierce feminist and activist. She is President of the National Organization for Women of New Jersey and co-founder of Equality, Period. NJ – a coalition for menstrual equity. Anjali would like to remind all that menstruation is a natural bodily function and that there should be no shame or stigma attached to it.